Trip Review-Earlier in London as pictures come in

I had to add this picture as it came in, because it is some of the art army at the street corner by Abbey Road Studios.  Any Beatle fan would recognize the connection with the Abbey Road album cover.  Alas the best pictures were on a camera that was taken by a thief in Paris, but at least this picture proves that it happened.  If you see a better version of this picture on a French blog web site, let me know, maybe we can at least recover the picture.

Jesse is in the lead.

Trip Review-Day 9 The Monster

The Louvre is the monster museum. 

It is gigantic, it challenges you to try to see it all, it presents some of the best of the best, but it keeps coming at you like an old school video game.  You really have to fight crowds, noise, fatigue, pricey coffee, and Stendhal syndrome or cultural overload.  Some of it is for bragging rights- I saw the Mona Lisa, some of it is for inspiration-I saw Corot's Italian oil sketches, some if it is for scholarship-I saw the Seated Scribe.  You end up happy to get outside to go for a walk, if you can still walk....to escape the monster.

Trip Review-Day 9 The Louvre is open late....

We did our best art army hike through the history of art in the Louvre.  As a group, we did a great job with enthusiasm and energy to the end.  

Around 5:15 or so, I decided as a group, we had had enough.  But the Louvre was open until 9:30 pm, so many of our hardy students, after a cup of cappuccino, kept going until closing.  

It is a true test for the art army members, since we had been at the Orangerie at 9:00 am.

What a great day!

Trip Review-Day 9 The Louvre Still....

And so, this is the Italian room in the Louvre and this throng is vying for a glimpse at the famous Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci.  Isn't this ridiculous?  How can you hope to enjoy this famous painting?  This is stop #2 in my "Invisible Art" series.  The greatness of the painting is totally obscured by glass in front, a fence around the painting, thousands of tourists elbowing for a view.

Maybe someday it will return to the art museum quiet the Louvre once had.  I'm not sure when.

Hey,  I saw the Mona Lisa in Paris!

Trip Review-Day 9 The Louvre

The Louvre.

To the average art student it is the ultimate museum experience and truly one of the great museums of the world.  Today it was a little difficult because we had already done the Orangerie.  I was still basking in the glow of Monet and his blue brushstrokes.   Our travel agents had found out about a strike that was going to happen on Friday, so we had to do both on the same day.  We had gotten to the Louvre around 12:15 and had a snack and sat for few minutes.   Then we strapped on our headphones and began the "tour".  I got yelled at by a guard and tour guide because I hadn't registered as a tour guide.  30 Euros later I had my badge.  We continued through as a group until around 5:00 pm.  

Trip Review-Day 8 Invisible Art

This day is still out of order and a day older, but Pete gave me this picture and I had to add it.  We are at the Orsay and I am desperately trying to talk about Vincent Van Gogh's last self portrait.  Since then I have developed an idea called "Invisible Art".  This is one of my best recent examples of invisible art.  Invisible art is so popular and so many are trying to see it and understand it that it is impossible to experience it anymore-hence it is invisible.  Most of the people in the picture are not from our group.  Ugh.   Sorry Vincent.

Trip Review-Day 8 Chartier's

Yes, I am out of order if you were following the blog and expecting it in order, this is a great restaurant near our hotel.  It is called Chartier's and it is off the main boulevard and around the corner.  It has men waiters who don't speak much English but the food is good and they are fairly good natured about Americans who can't speak French.  Most of our group ate here after the Orsay.

Trip Review-Day 9 Monet and the Orangerie

It was quite an experience to get lost in the water lily pond.  From the guide we were forced to have, we learned that Monet was kind of working against death while trying to finish his gift to France.  The old artist was in his 80s involved with this herculean task... pretty inspirational.

Here Jesse is contemplating the infinite.

Trip Review-Day 9 The Orangerie

I was so happy to finally get back to the Orangerie.  Sherri and I had been there in 1978 and since then it has always been closed or closed for remodeling whenever I had been in Paris.  I also realized that Monet was in his 80s and trying in an epic battle with death, trying to finish his great gift to France. 

For me these were some of the most precious minutes of the trip.  Monet, blue paint, brushstrokes,   ahhh........

Trip Review-Day 8 Orsay- Whistler's Mom & Mom

Before we left the Orsay, I couldn't resist posing with my Mom with Whistler's famous painting.

We were surrounded in a semi-circle by our group

and it was good for a laugh.  I'm sure anyone watching would not have gotten it.

I remember my days as a huge fan of the great ex-patriot.  I still respect his work and always enjoy seeing his stuff.

Trip Review-Day 8 The Arc de Triumphe

After the Musee d' Orsay, everyone went on their way, but a couple of groups went to the Arch of Triumph for the last stop of the day.  My Aunt Patty wanted to take her picture on top of the arch, so my cousin Pete took her with the Green Bay travelers.  I brought another group, but when we arrived no one wanted to climb the 200 or so steps up and down.  Also pictured is the tomb of the unknown soldier.  

It was getting late and was a bit windy and cold, so we went back to the hotel.  

Trip Review-Day 8 more of the Orsay

As everyone knows, you have to experience things for yourself.  The paintings at the Orsay are easily the best collection French 19th century paintings in the world.  I don't get to look as much because I am leading the group.  I got scolded by one of their administrators for having too many people and we had to use their "whisper" system instead of ours.   Oh well.  Still an inspirational visit.

Trip Review-Day 8 The Return of Pete at the Orsay

Our group had a 12:45 entrance at the Musee d' Orsay.  We were greeted by my cousin, the famous

Pete Poplaski.  We enjoyed our tour of the great Impressionist masterpieces, including this one by Edouard Manet, the Luncheon on the Grass.

Many of the paintings here formed my ideas on painting from life, brushstroke technique and imagery when I first saw them in the late 1970's.

Trip Review-Day 8 Allison and Hannah to Versailles

In an effort to be everything for everyone, I instructed Allison and Hannah how to get to Versailles.   One of the reasons Allison went on the trip was to go to Versailles, the palace of Louis XIV.  They got off one stop too early on the metro, but eventually made it to the palace of the Sun King.  It was crowded and popular and well worth the day for these members of the Bukowski Art Army. 

Trip Review-Day 8 Thinking about Rodin

We had an afternoon appointment at the Musee 'd Orsay, so a group went on the metro to the Rodin Museum. Everyone had the option to do whatever they wanted to do.  Others shopped, I think some even slept in.  Here is the front line of the Art Army, thinking about the great French sculptor Auguste Rodin.  The museum has been improved with a bigger gift shop and entrance. The gardens are great because they are decorated with major works by Rodin and it was a very pleasant morning.  I went back to the hotel to bring the rest to the Orsay, these students met us later.

Trip Review-Day 7 Paris from the Seine.

After the Eiffel tower, we jumped on a boat and slowly came to understand the old city of Paris. From the boat you could see the Tuileries Gardens,  Place de la Concorde, the Musee d'Orsay, the Louvre and Notre Dame among other landmarks.  It isn't a bad ride, it was just too cold for some of our travelers who decided to sit in the heated lower quarters. 

Trip Review-Day 7 View from the Eiffel Tower

The view from the Eiffel tower is spectacular.  It was cold and windy on certain sides of the viewing platform, but some great views of the Louvre and the Trocadero Gardens across the Seine from the tower.  Our next event was the boat trip and city tour.

Trip Review-Day 7 Meet under the tower.

We were all posing for pictures and waiting for our turn to go up the Eiffel Tower.  This is the view I had looking directly up into the tower.   I had told everyone to meet under the tower in a few minutes for our scheduled visit.

Trip Review-Day 7 Train to Paris

We had an early wake up call in London to catch the 7:30 am train to Paris.  We took the Eurostar from London to Paris and it only took about 2 and 1/2 hours!  I think everyone was a little groggy and didn't even notice going under the English channel.

It was cool with the sun peaking through once in a while.  After this picture was taken, we went to the top of Eiffel Tower.  My cousin Pete met us going up.