CREATIONS BY MARIE ANTOINETTE & EDIE MARIE

Welcome to our Team Blog! Marie Antoinette & Edie Marie have joined together to create a fun place to share our ideas and lives with all of you. We know that our teaming up has been confusing for some of you and we apologize. We will refer to ourselves as Marie Antoinette (the Doll Creator & maker of fabulous items) who lives in Peacock Paradise and Edie Marie (the creator of the posts and story telling on this blog & amateur crafter of many things in my "attic") who lives on Golden Pond. What great fun we have combining our forces!!

Thank you for stopping by to see what's happening in our studios in Peacock Paradise and on Golden Pond!

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Arch de Triomphe in Paris


We hopped back on the Big Bus and 
headed towards the Arch de Triomphe!
We were on the famous 
Champs Elysees! Wow! 



Such incredible views... 



Every shop you can imagine is on 
the Champs Elysees! 
The colorful umbrellas were so 
eye-catching. I loved them! 


As we traveled along the Seine River 
I spied this lovey-dovey couple on 
a bench near a graceful weeping willow 
tree. So sweet. I had to share this with you.  
Finally there it is! 



The Arc de Triomphe sits in the center of 
Place Charles de Gaulle, 





on the Champs Elysee. 


Son & Dad excited to be at the Arc! 


Hubby & myself ready to see this famous 
monument. 


The Arc de Triomphe honors those 
who fought and died for France in 
the French Revolutionary and 
the Napoleonic Wars, with the names of 
all the French victories and generals 
inscribed on it's inner and outer surfaces. 


I was a bit worried about how people 
get across the hideously busy 
Place Charles de Gaulle to get to 
the Arc. Never fear... there's an 
underground tunnel to get you there! 


When we reached the surface we 
were amazed! It was so huge!! 


The monument stands 164 ft high and 
148 ft wide and 72 ft deep. 


Its design was inspired by the 
Roman Arch of Titus. 


The Arc de Triomphe is built on such 
a large scale that, three weeks after the 
Paris victory parade in 1919 (marking the 
end of hostilities in World War I), 
Charles Godefroy flew his Nieuport biplane 
though it, with the event captured on 
newsreel. Amazing!  


The architectural style is 
Neoclassicism. 

The Arc is located on the right bank of 
the Seine at the center of a dodecagonal 
configuration of twelve radiating avenues. 

It was commissioned in 1806 after the 
victory at Austerlitz by Emperor Napoleon 
at the peak of his fortunes. 

Construction started in 1806 
and it was inaugurated in 1836.


The carvings and statues were 
breathtaking! 



My son talked me into going up to the 
top. Why not right? There's an elevator. 
So we purchased our tickets and entered 
to discover the elevator was not working!! 
Yikes! What now? 



The STEPS of course. Lots and lots of steps! 

 

When we got up to the top of the 
arc there was a huge room and in 
the center there was a surprise. 
Inside a railing was a window that 
looks down on the plaza below! 


You cannot see this window from 
down on the plaza. I'm not sure 
how it works but it's sooo cool! 


On display was a huge head 
of a statue. Very huge. 


Along with other normal statues... 


  and a beautiful lighted replica of the 
Arc de Triomphe in a glass case. 

And of course... more steps!

A total of 284 steps to be exact!! 
My son took a photo to commemorate 
my personal victory. LOL




I found the above photo though Wikipedia 
which is called 
"Collier's 1921 Vol 4 Frontispiece -- Paris" 
by U.S. Army Air Service - 
Collier's New Encyclopedia, 1921

It's such a great aerial visual of how the 
avenues flow from the Arc.  


In the distance you can see the modern 
downtown Paris buildings. 





The view above shows the 
Champs Elysees. 
It's a very busy road in Paris. 



And there she is... 


the pièce de résistance! 




My son was very proud of himself for 
snapping this clever photo... 
I loved it of course!
It's definitely my favorite hat!  


But after all that, 
this is what it was all about... 
the heros of war that sacrificed 
their lives for the freedom of France 
and other countries. 

At the base of the Arc de Triomphe 
stands a torch. Every evening at 6:30 P.M. 
it is rekindled, and veterans lay wreaths 
decorated with red, white, and blue near 
its flickering flame. It burns in the 
darkness to recall the sacrifice of an 
unknown French soldier who gave his 
life during World War I. 
(It burns now in memory of the 
unidentified soldiers killed in both 
World Wars.) 


The feeling was ominous. 
It brings me to tears every time I 
think about standing in such a 
sacred and solemn place. 
It was the same feeling I felt when 
I visited the Tomb of the Unknown 
Soldier in Washington D.C. 

It was such a privilege to visit this 
place of honor in France.   










Each plaque touched our hearts. 


The time came that we had to depart 
this wonderful piece of history. 


Back through the tunnel and back 
onto the Big Bus. 


And one last photo... 
we couldn't get enough of this 
wonderful place. 


Thanks for joining us for the 
Arc de Triomphe stop. 
There's lots more to share with 
you so please stay tuned. 
I want you to feel like you were 
right there with us!! 

Bisous & blessings, 
Edie & Marie

XOXO

We're joining Ivy & Elephants 
What's it Wednesday #183

Thanks girls! 

We're also joining Share Your Cup 
Thursday #165 with 
Mrs Olson

Thanks Jann! 

13 comments:

  1. Hi Sherry, what a fabulous trip you all enjoyed. Your pics are incredible and I love reading about the history. My favorite pic your tower hat!! So you my dear!!
    Thank you for taking us along on your trip to Paris.
    Wishing you and Wes a Happy Labor Day.
    Hugs and Blessings, cm

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are in my favorite city in the world! And it looks as if you're having a marvelous time. You're definitely one up on me - I have never had the oomph to climb those stairs to to the top of the arc ... and that elevator, in the last three times we've been, is out of order. I think it's PERMANENTLY out of order. LOL
    Hopefully, you're going to take the short jaunt to Versailles - worth the entire holiday just to roam those cavernous halls and see that remarkable architecture, furniture and décor! Have a marvelous time!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Such a lovely post full of beautiful images. It does take me back when we visited. There's so much beauty and history. I love re-visiting through your photos. Thank you for your sweet visit. Congrats on finding the lovely transferware. xo

    ReplyDelete
  4. Paris is so so beautiful ...my favorite city....love from me Ria x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Chère amie! WOW! That was a fabulous tour! And you, you are RAVISSANTE, TOI! You had a great time and those photos, you went to all the iconic places. Paris is difficult to see in a short period of time, but at least you were there. You all look WONDERFUL! Thank you dear friend for coming to visit my post. YOU are my very first blogger friend, remember? And I remember your voice. I was sitting in the parking lot of the market when we chatted, and I could hear your eyes. May you continue to enjoy life on Golden Pond with the best of memories and the brightest of days to come chère amie! BISES! Anita

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow, what an amazing post with wonderful photos! The architecture on the monument is beautiful and it is SO big isn't it?! I like the photo of you and your hat, cute!
    Thanks so much for taking us along on your trip! Looks like so much fun!
    Have a great week,
    Gina

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good evening ladies! What an amazing tour this was.
    Your photography is just beautiful.. I love the carvings and architecture.. Breathtaking.
    Thank you for taking me along.
    blessings,
    Penny

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, you lucky globetrotter you! What a sight to behold, I have never been.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh how I enjoyed reading this post and seeing the pictures with their descriptions
    What a wonderful day for you all and me I feel like I was there with you
    No way could I do the steps

    ReplyDelete
  10. What an amazing trip it looks like you've had. Despite being a mere couple of hours from Paris I've only visited briefly once and it's definitely somewhere I must go to.

    Congratulations on all those stairs, I don't know if I would've been able to!!

    Victoria xx
    FlorenceandMary.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh my gosh, a trip of a life time! The Arc is simply breathtaking! It's hard to imagine just how huge and beautiful it is. Seeing the people below puts it into perspective. They really look so tiny. It would be a humbling experience standing under it. Also, love; love; the hat! :) Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

    ReplyDelete
  12. Loved seeing all these views of Paris! I visited there many years ago, and did a lot of walking to see the sites. The photo of you with the Eiffel Hat is cute ;)
    Wendy

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wonderful to see you there! Thank you for taking me along. I did feel just as if I were seeing it myself. Love the clever photo! So you!!

    ReplyDelete