architecture

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Paris: Day 7

My last full day in Paris was spent seeing some new things which left me wondering why I waited so long to see them!The Musee d'Orsay was shockingly good: not just the art itself (which constituted my favorite periods) but the building, a converted train station, took my breath away.Designed for the Universal Exhibition in 1900 by the architect Victor Laloux, the train station laid vacant for decades until being converted into the art museum in 1986.A surprising added bonus to the museum are the views of the city from the 5th floor. Talk about Paris at your feet!On my way back to the apartment I dropped into the church across the street, St. Louis en I'Ile, for an impromptu organ recital (ok, practice time for the musician with me sneaking a listen!). The church which has a rather....shall we say rough exterior, has a magnificent baroque interior designed by royal architect Louis Le Vau designed in 1664. Walking out of the church, awed by the over powering music, the house across the street confronted me with my true feelings of the city and my trip: a heart shaped topiary.

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