Paris - Galeries Lafayette

Date of visit/shopping: 17th April 2014

Galaries Lafayette is famous among the tourist due to a special design of a glass and steel dome and Art Nouveau staircases of their mall building. The glass on the steel dome was the main reason why I chose this place as part of our itinerary and a place for Ane to grab her longchamp bags. Longchamp is a French luxury leather goods company founded in paris in 1948 by Jean Cassegrain. The company is owned and managed by the family. The brand is present in all over the world through more than 236 boutiques and a total more of  than 1,800 stores world wide. 

We were heading straight to Galeries Lafayette metro station, "Chaussee d'Antin - La Fayette " which is seated on Line 7 and Line 9 of the Paris Metro. The station was opened on 5 November 1910. The Galeries Lafayette is an upmarket French department store located on Boulevard Haussman in the 9th arrondisement of Paris. In 2009, Galeries Lafayette recorded earnings of over one billion euro. It is a part of the company Groupe Galeries Lafayette.

In 1895, the 2 cousins, Theophile Bader and Alphonse Kahn opened a fashion store in a small shop at the corner of rue La Fayette and the Chausee dÁntin. A year later their company grew so well which enable them to purchase the entire building at no. 1 rue La Fayette. Later in 1905 they acquired 4 more buildings at no. 38, 40 and 42 in boulevard Haussman and no. 15 rue de la Chaussee d'Antin. They commissioned the architect, Georges Chedanne and his assistant, Ferdinand Chanut to design the store at the Haussmann, where a maginificent glass and steel dome and Art Nouveau staircases were finished in 1912. We've been to only 1 of the mall building, the rest are recorded in 2 below photos.

Beside Paris, there are 5 other store presently open in the following cities, should you wish to pay a visit:-

1. Berlin store - located on FriedrichstraBe two blocks south of Unter den Linden at the Franzosische StraBe U-Bahn station, opened in 1996. The store was designed by Jean Nouvel and constructed between 1991 and 1995.
2. Casablanca store - In 2008, the store announced a licensing agreement to open a store in Morocco Mall in 2010. The Casablanca store in Morocco Mall was designed by Davide Padoa of Design International. Galeries Lafayette was previously operated a store in Casablanca from the 1920s through the early 1970s.
3. Dubai store - A Galeries Lafayette store opened in Dubai Mall on 18 May 2009. In February 2011, the store unveiled Dubai's first gold ATM. Shoppers can insert cash and receive a corresponding amount of gold nuggets or coins.
4. Jakarta store - Galeries Lafayette opened their first store in South East Asia in the summer of 2013 at the Pacific Place Mall. The store occupies more than four floors.
5. Beijing store - Galeries Lafayette has announced that it will open its first location in China by the end of 2014. The Beijing store will be operated as a 50-50 joint venture between the French company and the Hong Kong-based fashion retailer I.T.

Lonely Planet has rated Galeries Lafayette in top 10, a must visit place when in Paris. It was said that the grandeur department store Galeries Lafayette is spread across the main store (whose magnificent stained-glass dome is over a century old), men’s store and homewares store which includes a gourmet emporium. A visitor is advice to  catch a modern art in the gallery, or partake in a fashion show for free, windswept rooftop panorama; or a break at one of its 19 restaurants and cafes available in the store while in the place.

Part of the steel dome structure and Roof top viewing gallery

Roof top panorama, Eiffel Tower is visible from afar

Whilst a visitor who left a review in the Trip Advisor website has commented that this place are for a high end shopping where bargains are not allowed. The place is really crowded as there are plenty of quality merchandise in this mega department store. I cant' agreed less, it's a shopaholics centre for ladies out there. Make sure, you plan well what to buy and spent wisely before you come. Do not get tricks by low offer as it sometimes make you buy unnecessary thing.

Longchamp boutique on the ground floor

As for me, I would say that I'm very satisfied with time well spent at this place s the dome and the building are far more beautiful than I could imagine. I enjoyed having recorded the details of it in my camera. Though I did not shop much but looking at 3 happy faces of my companions suffice to make me happy. We ended the shopping list and the photo shooting coffee and macaroons. 

Paris - Basilica Sacre du Coeur de Montmarte

Date of visit: 17th April 2014

It was a pleasant walk we had that day to reach the Sacred Heart basilica of Paris which is located at 35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre. From Palais Royal – Musee du Louvre, we took a Metro Line 1 headed towards la Defense. We have to change platform from Line M1 to Line M12 at Concorde station. It took us about 1 minute walk to arrive at Line 12 platform from line 1. Following the direction provided at Line M12 towards Front Populaire, we boarded the metro to the next stop, Abesses station easily . As Sacre Coeur seated at the top of the hill, prepared yourself to physically climb an uncounted stairs and a hilly road. To make it more interesting, our group did a numerous stop buying gifts for our loves one back home as it was the only day left to spend in Paris.

Though the walk seems rather challenging than before, we were steadily enjoying the crowds, blue skies, rows of shop, steep hilly streets, surrounding buildings, aromatic brewed coffee and a nice spring breeze. I doubt if you are not agreeable to what I said, may be able to evaluate yourself by looking at numerous photos shared in this entry.

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, commonly known as Sacre-Cœur Basilica and often simply Sacre-Cœur, is a Roman Catholic Church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Paris, France. A popular landmark, the basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. Sacre-Cœur is a double monument, political and cultural, both a national penance for the defeat of France in the 1871 Franco-Prussian War and the socialist Paris Commune of 1871 crowning its most rebellious neighbourhood, and an embodiment of conservative moral order, publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was an increasingly popular vision of a loving and sympathetic Christ.

The Sacre-Cœur Basilica was designed by Paul Abadie in Byzantine architecture. Construction began in 1875 and was finished in 1914. It was consecrated after the end of World War I in 1919. This is the latest built building compared to all our visited places thus far in Paris. The Basilica is also accessible by bus. Buses umber 30, 31, 80, and 85 can be taken to the bottom of the hill of the Basilica. Beside our routes, Line 12 of the metro can also be taken up to Jules Joffrin station and then change to the Montmartrobus and disembark at Place du Tertre. Line 2 or 12 of the metro can be taken to Pigalle station, later change to the Montmartrobus and disembark at Norvins, or to Anvers station which gives easy access to the steps or the funicular car that lead directly to the Basilica. You may skip many staircases by using this route. We used our Paris Pass to take funicular car on the way down.

Sacre-Cœur is open as early as 6 am in the morning and close at 11.30 pm (22:30) every day. For those who still have lots energy to spare, is encourage to climb the staircases to reach the dome which is accessible from 9 am till 7pm in the summer and up till 6 pm in the winter. I was told by the Japanese lady that has just completed her climb, of how breathtaking is the view seen up there from the dome but I decided not to go up due to limit of time. Nevertheless, it’s worth trying your effort I believe.

A way up to the Dome

The following are some of the interesting facts about sacre-coeur basilica, worthy to add to our knowledge:-

The Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre, or Sacre-Coeur, is a major landmark in Paris. The site has a complex history from pagan times through the Middle Ages and French Revolution and is now a major cultural center in this popular neighborhood. Montmartre, the hill on which the basilica stands, has been a sacred site since pagan times. Druids are thought to have worshipped there, and the ancient Romans built temples to Mars and Mercury. Montmartre was originally named "Mons Martis," meaning "Mount of Mars." This was later Christianized to "Montmartre," or "Mount of the Martyr." "Sacre-Coeur" is a reference to the sacred heart of Jesus.

The first Christian chapel was built on Montmartre around 475 A.D., in honor of the martyred St. Denis, who was the first bishop of Paris. Besides St. Denis, Montmartre became associated with Christian martyrs in general, and was a popular destination for pilgrims in the Middle Ages. In 1792, during the French Revolution, the abbey which had grown up around the chapel was destroyed, and the inhabitants dispersed. The Abbess was eventually executed. During the Paris Commune of 1871, hundreds of commune members hid in the chalk mines near the Sacre-Coeur. They were killed when the government dynamited the exits, adding to the hill's body count.

In the 1800s a contest was held to choose a designer for the modern basilica. The winner, Paul Abadie, used a unique style drawing on Roman and Byzantine influences. The Sacre-Coeur is constructed of stone from Chateau-Landon, which is known for it's high content of calcite. In damp weather calcite leaches out of the stone, keeping the appearance of the monument chalky white. The top of the dome is open to the public, and is the second-highest point in Paris after the Eiffel Tower. Many tourists visit just for the panoramic views. On warm evenings, Parisians and visitors gather on the steps of the Sacre-Coeur to enjoy the view of the city. Many bring instruments, so there is often live music.

Paris - Musee de Louvre

Date of visit: 17th April 2014

Take note to have the same pose. Everybody should have this kind of moment

First and foremost, musee de Louvre is a must visit place when in Paris. It is a home of Monalisa, the world most famous painting, painted by Leonardo da Vincci, in Florence, Italy 500 years ago. A visit to Louvre would not be completed without paying a visit to Monalisa. The ambiguity of Monalisa's expression, which is frequently described as enigmatic, the monumentality of the composition, the subtle modeling of forms and the atmospheric illusionism were novel qualities that have contributed to the continuing fascination and study of Leonardo's work. Before I share further background story of her, let's just first appreciate the building on the external part first and how to get there, what is this place for, most importantly what to expect when you reach there.

The Louvre or the Louvre Museum is one of the world's largest museums and a historic monument. It is a central landmark of Paris, France, located on the right bank of the Seine river in the first district. Nearly 35,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are exhibited over an area of 60,600 square metres. The Louvre is the world's most visited museum, and received more than 9.7 million visitors in 2012. How to reach there? It is very simple depending on mode of your preferred transportation. In our case, we were more than comfortable of utilizing our 2 days Paris Pass, taking a metro Line 1 which stop at Palais Royal - Musee du Louvre. It's as easy as ABC. The metro shall stop right at the huge mall with directional signage to assist you where to start your queue at. We arrived quite early that day, hence the queue lines were so short, better than what we expected. There's few entrances available, so, do not worry so much as 1 cannot get lost when you have reach this place.

The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace itself, originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century under Philip II. Remnants of the fortress are still visible in the basement of the museum. The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace, you may check the history from this website Louvre History. In 1682, Louis XIV chose the Palace of Versailles for his household, leaving the Louvre primarily as a place to display the royal collection, including, from 1692, a collection of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture. In 1692, the building was occupied by the Academie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres and the Academie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, which in 1699 held the first of a series of salons. The Academie remained at the Louvre for 100 years. During the French Revolution, the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a museum to display the nation's masterpieces.

A huge Palace Louvre

Let's get back to Monalisa which is housed inside the museum, becoming the main attraction among the visitors. The Mona Lisa is actually a half-length portrait of a woman by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci, which has been acclaimed as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world". The painting, thought to be a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, is in oil on a white Lombardy poplar panel, and is believed to have been painted between 1503 and 1506, although Leonardo may have continued working on it as late as 1517. It was acquired by King Francis I of France and is now the property of the French Republic, on permanent display at the Louvre museum in Paris since 217 years ago (from 1797).

The painting's fame was emphasized when it was stolen on 21 August 1911. It was 2 years later when the real thief was discovered. Louvre employee Vincenzo Peruggia had stolen it by entering the building during regular hours, hiding in a broom closet and walking out with it hidden under his coat after the museum had closed. Peruggia was an Italian patriot who believed Leonardo's painting should be returned to Italy for display in an Italian museum. 6 copies of the painting were created and sold in US during that time, but the original remained in Europe and after having kept the Mona Lisa in his apartment for 2 years, Peruggia grew impatient and was finally caught when he attempted to sell it to the directors of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. It was exhibited all over Italy and returned to the Louvre in 1913. Peruggia was hailed for his patriotism in Italy and served 6 months in jail for the crime.

511 year old painting, placed under  bulletproof glass shielded from any attacks

I grew very fond with the artist, Leonardo da Vinci, mainly due to his intelligence. He was an Italian polymath, painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived. His genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. Leonardo has often been described as the archetype of the Renaissance Man, a man of "unquenchable curiosity" and "feverishly inventive imagination". According to art historian Helen Gardner, the scope and depth of his interests were without precedent and "his mind and personality seem to us superhuman, the man himself mysterious and remote". Marco Rosci states that while there is much speculation about Leonardo, his vision of the world is essentially logical rather than mysterious, and that the empirical methods he employed were unusual for his time. Alas, reading the last piece about him from the book, “The Artist, the Philosopher and the Warrior” by Paul Strathern saddened me most. Hence, I rest my case when it came to him. The book circles about the Intersecting lives of Leonardo da Vinci, Machiavelli, and Borgia and the world they shaped during renaissance time.

Painting section - on the wall, on the ceilings, everywhere

Louvre museum opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings, the majority of the works being royal and confiscated church property. Because of structural problems with the building, the museum was closed in 1796 until 1801. The collection was increased under Napoleon and the museum renamed the "Musee Napoleon". After the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, many works seized by his armies were returned to their original owners. The collection was further increased during the reigns of Louis XVIII and Charles X, and during the 2nd French Empire where the museum gained 20,000 pieces. It has grown steadily through donations and gifts since the 3rd Republic. As of 2008, the collection is divided among 8 curatorial departments:-
1) Egyptian Antiquities, 
2) Near Eastern Antiquities, 
3) Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities, 
4) Islamic Art, 
5) Sculpture,
6) Decorative Arts,
7) Paintings and
8) Prints and Drawings. 

The sculpture section comprises work created before 1850 that does not belong in the Etruscan, Greek, and Roman department. The Louvre has been a repository of sculpted material since its time as a palace; however, only ancient architecture was displayed until 1824, except for Michelangelo's Dying Slave and Rebellious Slave. Initially the collection included only 100 pieces, the rest of the royal sculpture collection being at Versailles. The collection's overview of French sculpture contains Romanesque works such as the 11th century Daniel in the Lions' Den and the 12th century Virgin of Auvergne. In the 16th century, Renaissance influence caused French sculpture to become more restrained.

The collection in “Near Eastern antiquities”, the 2^nd newest section, dates from 1881 and presents an overview of early Near Eastern civilization and "first settlements", before the arrival of Islam really surprise me. It is divided into 3 geographic areas: the Levant, Mesopotamia (Syria, Iraq), and Persia (Iran). The collection's development corresponds to archaeological work such as Paul-Emile Botta's 1843 expedition to Khorsabad and the discovery of Sargon II's palace. These finds formed the basis of the Assyrian museum, the precursor to today's department. The museum contains exhibits from Sumer and the city of Akkad, with monuments such as the Prince of Lagash's Stele of the Vultures from 2,450 BC and the stele erected by Naram-Sin, King of Akkad, to celebrate a victory over barbarians in the Zagros Mountains. The Persian portion of Louvre contains work from the archaic period, like the Funerary Head and the Persian Archers of Darius I. This section also contains rare objects from Persepolis which were also lent to British Museum for its Ancient Persia exhibition in 2005.

I would like to end this entry by stating few facts about Paris that I get various website that you may find useful when visiting the city of lights. There are no less than 173 museums, 37 bridges, 31 monuments, 3 opera houses, 171 churches and temples, 208 theatres and cabarets, 20 covered passageways, 84 cinemas, 14 cemeteries, 108 Wallace fountains, 463 parks and gardens. A total of 276 monuments, hotels, churches, fountains, bridges and canals light up in Paris every night. You may get the best out of this beauty treatment for these magnificent structures with a magical tour of Paris starting with the Eiffel Tower, undisputed queen of the illuminations. Remaining photos are the last selected photos out of many that becoming my favorite from the Louvre.

This 1 brought tears to my eyes, how cruel is the war to the childrens