Travelsmartplanet

.

Yup, the symbol of France is still there and still majestic. The Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile is situated at the center of Place Charles de Gaulle at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. Etoile means star and that refers to the twelve avenues which radiate from the arch.
The Arc de Triomphe honours those who fought and died for France in wars so it became the rallying point of French troops who paraded through it after successful military campaigns and for the annual Bastille Day Military Parade. After the interment of the Unknown Soldier from WWI, however, parades have avoided marching through the actual arch and go around its side, out of respect for the tomb and its symbolism. Both Hitler in 1940 and de Gaulle in 1944 observed this custom. After WWI, in an event captured on newsreels, Charles Godefroy flew his Nieuport biplane under the arch’s primary vault.

The bas relief shown in pic 2 represents Liberty under the figure of a winged woman pushing against the enemy invasion.

Tags: arc, Arc de Triomphe, arch, biplane, Champs-Élysées, Charles de Gaulle, CostSaver, enemy, Europe, figure, France, French, honour, interment, invasion, landmark, Liberty, military, Nieuport, parade, Paris, primary, sights, sightseeing, soldier, symbol, symbolism, tomb, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, travelblogger, troops, Unknown Soldier, vault, war, winged, woman, WWI

.

If you think life is tough, think of all the sailors that went out into the unknown seas. The shipwrecked Madusa, was left with 115 out of the original 400 sailors on board. There was very little food and water but lots of wine which led to heavy drinking, murder, mutiny and cannibalism. When rescued, only 15 were left alive. This work by Theodore Gericault’s was a seismic shift in art from the stiff neo-classicism of the past to the dramatic and emotional Romanticism in art. It is more of the most macabre painting in the Louvre.

Tags: alive, art, cannibalism, classic, collection, CostSaver, dramatic, drinking, emotional, Europe, food, France, gallery, Gericault, History, landmark, Le louvre, Louvre, Louvre Museum, macabre, Madusa, masterpiece, murder, Musée du Louvre, Museum, mutiny, Neo-Classicism, on board, painter, painting, Paris, rescue, Romanticism, sailor, sea, seismic, shift, shipwrecked, sights, sightseeing, the Louvre, Theodore Gericault, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, travelblogger, water, wine, work

.

With everyone crowding in to see the Mona Lisa, you can head elsewhere in the Louvre Museum to find 100’s of other famous artists’ works, starting with Michelangelo. He was so brilliant at coaxing human emotions out of the stone. Here are two representations of slaves so painfully showing their despair.

Tags: art, art museum, artist, CostSaver, Europe, exhibit, famous, France, gallery, landmark, Le louvre, Louve, Louvre Museum, masterpiece, masters, Michelangelo, Mona Lisa, Musée du Louvre, Museum, Paris, representation, sculptor, scupyure, sights, sightseeing, slave, stone, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, travelblogger, works

.

At first glance this looks like a naked woman sleeping on a very soft cushioned bed but you would be mistaken on both counts. Originally found in the Borgehese gallery in Rome, obviously ancient audiences were comfortable with mixed gender concepts. She might be a he, and Bernini the master sculptor has made marble appear so soft.

Tags: Ancient, art, artist, audience, bed, Bernini, Borgehese, concept, CostSaver, cushioned, Europe, exhibit, France, gallery, gender, Hermaphroditus, landmark, Le louvre, Louvre Museum, marble, master, masterpiece, mixed gender, Musée du Louvre, Museum, naked, Paris, Rome, sculptor, sights, sightseeing, sleeping, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, travelblogger, woman

.

Three of the most recognized pieces of art in the world. The Venus de Milo (found on the Greek island of Milo) is over 200o yrs old and is still seen as the epitomy of classical female beauty. The Winged Victory of Samothrace is a mastery of carving – just notice the wind ruffling her 2200-year- old dress. And dear old Mona, our guide said she has that secret smile because she knows where Rodin hid The Thinker’s clothing! (See him at the Rodin Museum here in Paris)

Tags: art, art gallery, beauty, carving, classic, classical, clothing, CostSaver, dress, epitomy, Europe, exhibit, famous, female, France, gallery, Greek, guide, historic, Island, landmark, largest, Le louvre, Louvre, Louvre Museum, masterpiece, mastery, Milo, modern, Mona Lisa, monument, Museum, Paris, recognized, rodin, Rodin Museum, Samothrace, secret, sights, sightseeing, smile, the Louvre, The Thinker, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, travelblogger, Venus de Milo, victory, wind, winged, Winged Victory of Samothrace, world, ‎Musée du Louvre

.

You might not have known that the world’s largest art museum, the Louvre was a palace. Before that it was originally built in the late 12th to 13th century as the Louvre castle under Philip II. Francis I chose it as the residence for French kings where it remained until good old King Louis XIV decided to move to Versailles and this building was then used to store his pretty things.

Tags: 12th century, 13th century, art, art museum, artist, building, built, castle, century, collection, collector, CostSaver, Europe, exhibition, France, Francis I, French, King, King Louis, King Louis XIV, landmark, Louve castle, Louvre, masterpiece, masters, Museum, palace, Paris, Philip II, priceless, residence, sights, sightseeing, storage, surroundings, the Louvre, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, travelblogger, Versailles, world

.
Behind Sacre Coeur Cathedral there is a touristy restaurant zone where you can enjoy a typical French meal before getting your spot in front of Sacre Coeur for the sunset. 3-course prix fixe meals are well priced at 16 – 23 euros (around $22-$28US) and are actually pretty tasty. Expect to find classic onion soup, beef Bourguignon, coq au vin, salmon, and apple tart for dessert. Don’t order any soda – that’s where they get you.

Tags: 3-course, apple, apple tart, beef, beef Bourguignon, Bourguignon, cathedral, Cathedrale, classic, coq au vin, CostSaver, course, dessert, euro, Europe, food, France, French, french food, landmark, meal, onion, onion soup, Paris, prix fixe, Restaurant, Sacre Coeur, Sacre Coeur Cathedral, salmon, sights, sightseeing, soda, soup, tart, tasty, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, travelblogger, typical, well priced, youristy, zone

.

Everyone getting ready to watch the sunset from the perch above the city of Paris on the steps of the Sacre Coeur Cathedral. And don’t forget to turn around from that iconic view and take a look at the Cathedrale itself in the shadows of the night.

Tags: breathtaking, cathedral, Cathedrale, city, city of paris, CostSaver, Europe, France, iconic, landmark, montmartre, night, Paris, paris view, perch, Sacre Coeur, Sacre Coeur Cathedral, shadow, sights, sightseeing, steps, sunset, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, travelblogger, view

.

How often do you get to wake up in the morning, look out your window and see the Eiffel Tower greeting you? Or graphics of Notre Dame Cathedrale putting you to sleep at night? We enjoyed the modern Novotel 14 Porte d’Orleans on a Trafalgar Costsaver tour.

Tags: Cathedrale, CostSaver, Eiffel, Eiffel tower, Europe, France, hotel, landmark, modern, morning, mural, night, Notre Dame, Notre Dame Cathedrale, Novotel, Paris, photo, photo mural, Porte d'Orleans, sights, sightseeing, tour, tourist, tower, Trafalgar, travel, travelblogger, view, window

.

Ferries from London to Paris are way beyond what we thought. There are different restaurants, shops, arcade, and quite a number of types of seating including couches, arm chairs, banquettes and this lounger, our favorite. Two people can lie really really comfortably.

Tags: arcade, arm chair, banquette, boat, chair, comfort, CostSaver, couch, dock, Europe, ferries, ferry, ferryboat, France, London, lounger, Nature, Paris, Restaurant, seating, seaview, shop, sights, sightseeing, tour, tourist, Trafalgar, travel, travelblogger, United Kingdom