Le pont Alexandre III
This image is iconic of Paris, for me...the most amazing of bridges, built between 1897 and 1900,and inaugurated as the Universal Exposition of 1900 opened....it is simply stunning and to have La Tour Eiffel in the background...oohh la la! is this not the Paris of our dreams?Of course I must mention that this bridge was used by Luc Besson to start his wonderful movie, Angel-A...if you don't know this film, get it from Netflix or your local video shop...it is a must-see!
The Ecole des Beaux Arts, an iconic and beautiful building in its own right, sits on the River Siene, just across from the Louvre.
Another look at the Tour Eiffel, with the Pont Alexandree III in the foreground.
The eastern entrance gate of the Jardin des Tuileries is the Arc de Carrousel, a smaller version of the Arc de Triomphe, at the other end of the Avenue Des Champs Elysees.
Looking up the Jardin des Tuileries, one of the great public gardens in the world.
The entrance of the Petit Palais....petite only when compared to the Grand Palais across the street.
The entrance to the Musee du Louvre...the entrance is the glass pyramid, where escalators move crowds down to the lower level, where all essential services and all collections are easily accessed.
The Louvre is filled with grand views, and none is grander than seeing the Winged Victory of Samothrace at the head of this long stairway...it's almost as if the original palace was designed with this art work in mind.
The long and wide corridors with amazing works at every turn, and, of course, this corridor leads to yet another and another and another... It would take a lifetime or more to see and know the Louvre. And all my favorites are across the river at the D'Orsay.
The massive pieces of the Egyptian and Far East collections are truly magnificent.
The entry pyramid as seen from the lower level.
The lower level and upper pyramid, looking out on the surrounding Palace buildings.
