alexandriacardinals

[We’re leaving the Pantheon and heading for Luxembourg Gardens.  No, we did not eat here.]

[And we’re there!]

[Another huge central park.  Anne notes where we are . . . but we’re looking for a lunch place.]

[A statue?  In Paris?  Who’da thunk?]

[Oh boy, lots of park stuff, including a large pool.]

[With the Luxembourg Palace on the right.]

[We found it – food!  Probably a little spendy, but the ambience was delightful.  I recall our waiter being a tad frumpy but fun and very efficient!  🙂   It was also, though, the only place we had to pay to use la toilette.]

[Reetz checking the latest stock quotes on luggage.]

[And great place to just hang and people watch.]

[Comment-allez vous?  Tres bien, merci, et vous?]

[I don’t recall what this was, but the super is giving it close examination.]

[Just walking through the gardens.]

[Feminine attire always seemed to slip off one shoulder?]

[I thought I had some shots (in this garden?) of some statues . . . ]

[Where they put multiple thin spikes on the statue heads to prevent them from being bird perches?  Oh yeah, go back to Sainte Genevieve.  🙂  ]

[The super is checking out the flower beds.  There was also a World War I photographic display here in a building just to the left off this photo.]

 [The Biddies and friend.]

[And we’re out and about in the neighborhood again.]

[Marcher!]

[I believe we’re in an outdoor book fair here.]

[That’s what it says.]

[Back in the subway again . . . ]

[From here going to our last “stop” in Paris.]

[The Trocadero, site of the Palais de Chaillot on the hill across the Seine from the Tower.  A magnificent view.]

[OK, a little tough to decipher.]

[I wonder how many photos are taken here on a daily basis?]

[See you again in Prague!  🙂 ]

[Remember when Mad magazine called the Robert Shaw character in “Jaws,” “Squint”?]

[Let’s go across the street to the restaurant row . . . ]

[Sometimes there are too many options.  We walked the length of the row and back and settled on this one for dinner, one of the first in line.  Don’t The Biddies look all “Frenchy”?]

[After dinner, back for some final photos with thousands of our close personal friends . . . the supervisor reaches for the stars.]

[Heading back to the hotel.  Now grizzled veterans of the Paris metro system.  🙂 ]

[Out the window shots as we roll along.]

[The final shot in Paris (well, until the cab ride to the airport in the morning).  Some how fitting that it should be of one of the greatest inventions of all time (now in designer colors!)?  😉  ]

Being a woman is of special interest only to aspiring make transsexuals.  To actual women it is merely a good excuse not to play football.  ~  Fran Lebowitz

Up next:  Going home?

[Time’s running out!  Still lots of things to see and do.  I think this was the first day we didn’t have breakfast before we got on the subway.  We’re close to the subway stop near the Sorbonne here – and here Reetz documents the place we did have breakfast.]

[A little sidewalk shopping on the way.  I know it says St. Germain, but we weren’t in St. Cloud!  Note The Biddies are wearing their new French skirts.  😉  ]

[That’s where we’re going – though I think we had to walk all the way around the block for the entrance.]

[And here’s where we were . . . and breakfasted.]

[And now we’re at the entrance to the Musee de Cluny.  This is old stuff.]

[Stained glass window display.]

[Really had to the look and feel of an old-time castle.]

[Torsos . . . and me.]

[It’s cool!]

[The swastika actually dates back to antiquity, though it does kind of jump out at you now because of its “recent” history.]

[Sarcophaguses (sarcophagi?) of folks I didn’t know and can’t recall.]

[A big room.  Early racquetball courts?]

[Reetz and columns.  Bonjour, madame, did you find my luggage yet?]

[Another big room.  The super also checking “lost and found” for the missing luggage.]

[Now that’s a tapestry – with various statuary representations of the Virgin Mary.]

[No, it’s not a light sabre.  It’s a narwhal tooth!  🙂 ]

[Back on the street again . . . and shopping.  If you need a scarf, this is the place to be!]

[The University of Paris Sorbonne and following neighborhood . . . ]

[Now I think the Pantheon is that way . . . ]

[Yup, there it is – undergoing a 3-year renovation.]

 [But right outside, and next to a University of Paris building, I found my soul mate!  😉  ]

[The supervisor points to a bumper sticker on his bum.  She was afraid to try removing it.]

[OK, let’s go in.]

[Oh, looking back at the University of Paris as we approach the Pantheon entrance.]

[And the street from whence we came – with my big Soul Mate.]

[Inside (obviously).]

What I said on Facebook:  I know thousands of you are eagerly awaiting the final blog posts on France.  On our last full day in Paris, we visited the Pantheon which was undergoing renovation.  The following AP story explains the following photos – it was great fun, I could have spent a lot of time there just photographing the best or funniest photos.  We have Reetz for perspective, and the super actually laid down on the floor for hers.

(AP) The mausoleum that is the final resting place for 72 of France’s renowned men — and just one woman — will get a little more ‘egalite’ during two years of renovations. 

Days after announcing that two women who fought with the French Resistance during World War II will be interred at the Pantheon, the government on Tuesday announced that the faces of thousands of ordinary people will be on show in a huge art installation there. 

Anyone can upload a photo for inclusion and JR, a photographer known for his giant street-art portraits, is also traveling around France to find people who want a place in the building that houses the remains of Victor Hugo, Voltaire, and Marie Curie, among others.

The installation will begin April 22.

[And on the ceiling.]

 [Now, the original stuff . . . ]

[Can you read French?  😉  ]

[Inside itself?]

[The super thought lying on the floor was not too high a price to pay for fame and glory!]

[Bye-bye Pantheon, hello Tower!]

[I think we go this way for our next destination, through the university . . .]

[And past my Big Bud . . . and we’ll get there in Part 2.]

I have not been able to discover whether there exists a precise French equivalent for the common Anglo-American expression ‘killing time.’ It’s a very crass and breezy expression, when you ponder it for a moment, considering that time, after all, is killing us.   ~  Christopher Hitchens

Up next:  Part 2, the last day in Paris?

[It was the first day of school at Alexandria Area High School.  (Photo on loan from Echo Press.)]

Disclosure:  The supervisor did not attend this game, and I did not stay to the end, again.  The super said she was so wound up after the Marshall game that she couldn’t sleep that night.  She’ll wait for a game when she’s well rested before hand.  I experienced a “we’re only in the 7th inning and the game’s already over 3 hours long” syndrome.  I thought the Cards should have won in 3 games, but when it stretched to 5 it was past my bedtime!  Maybe they wanted to stretch out the agony for the Spuds for them beating us in sections last year when I believe we were favored?  😉

[I got there just in time to see how the nets are stored in the ceiling.  As it was rising, I heard a loud pop and thought a cable had snapped or something?  But it made it.  Oh, and the JV is playing in the foreground – I believe they won 2 – 1.]

[JV Coach Jackie Peters.]

[Nice game, nice game, way to go, are you going to Culver’s on the way home?]

[OK, this time I got all the players at introduction.  Morgan Melrose must still be a little nicked up – she only entered the game once to make one serve.]

[Katie Dolan]

[Alexis Stern played the most I’ve ever seen her play – and played well.]

[Liz Schultz]

[Kalley Bistrodeau]

[Abby Pohlen]

[Brooke Swanson]

[Amanda Haack]

[Jordyn Lamb]

[Gretchen Watkins . . . I’ve always wondered what is was that they throw into the stands.  In keeping with local heritage, I thought it was lefse wrapped around smelt – but now I’m not so sure.]

[As the team returns to the bench, the question has to be asked . . . where’s the Haackster?]

[I had to giggle when I first saw this in the background . . . ]

[A couple of guys were wearing t-shirts of questionable taste for such a venue . . . and I knew Sheree Saxton would get ’em . . .]

[I’m not sure of Sheree’s professional title, but I prefer to think of it as PICS . . . “Person In Charge of Students.”  She does it with a light touch and has a great rapport with the kids.  She made the guys wear their shirts inside-out.  I imagine in some places they would have been asked to leave.]

[Brooke up for a tip over.  Early on, and especially for the sophomores, we were having trouble timing our jumps.]

[Katie is probably our best server, with Gretchen right there too.]

[Liz directs traffic at the net, showing the ropes to the young Jordyn.]

[And then it’s up!!  See, kid, this is how you do it.]

[Liz jump serves.  And back from a starring role over the years at Jefferson – the blue garbage can!  🙂  ]

[The Twins bookend the rookie Abby.  Of course I call them The Twins, but I did hear a parent behind me last night saying sometimes he can’t tell them apart in the heat of the action.  🙂  ]

[Back to Liz.]

[Then Kalley.  OK, just checking to see if you noticed that the first of the three was Amanda?]

[After the opening game loss, the Cards roared out of the chute for game 2.  They faltered a bit as the game went on but hung on for the win.]

[Our first win at AAHS, after going 0 – 3 v. Marshall and losing the first game against the Spuds.]

[If you don’t win game 3, you’ll have to play 5.  I know you’re tired after 5 games in The Cities over the weekend.  Again, I heard parents behind me say how beat up the players get in these games.  In this 5 game match, for example, there’s over 200 points scored, and for each point the net players might be jumping to their max 3 or 4 times.  Try jumping as high as you can 600 times over the course of a couple hours.  Plus, all of the times they dive on the floor trying to save points.  After their long weekend, I thought we looked a bit worn out.]

[Anatomy of a “stuff” point: 1) Alexis, Liz, and Amanda all slide left; 2) Alexis and Liz go up, Amanda awaits a “foul tip;” 3) – 5) Oh joy, we stuffed ’em!!]

[Oh, the vicissitudes – then we lost one.]

[I may never understand positioning?]

[Kalley let’s out a roar . . . something good obviously happened!  🙂  ]

[Let’s celebrate our victory in game 3.  We did that despite at one time having 4 straight service faults, and it would have been a 5th except the Spuds played a serve that was going long.  This is a senior dominated team, led by the 3 up front all-arounders of Liz, Kalley, and Amanda; and the server/defenders, Gretchen and Katie.  We need a few more players to step forward to help balance the team for consistency.  Alexis may have done that on this night.]

[This was the game 3 score.  The match looked well in hand, but we let game 4 get away at the end.  Then it was on to game 5, which we learned we won handily 15 – 10 . . . as I was on to home and bed.]

Jerry Lundegaard to Wade: What are ya’ watchin’ there Wade?

Up next:  Maybe, finally, the last day in Paris?

[We’ve left the Rodin.  Bill uses his sextant to plot our new course, getting his bearings from the Tower, of course.  Uffda!!  (That’s Norwegian-French for forgetfulness.)  I forgot to mention that Kay and Elizabeth went home on this morning.  After tearful good-byes over lattes and cognacs, the Magnificent Seven was now the Fab Five.]

[The Army Museum (Musee de l’ Armee) and Les Invalides – remember we went here our first day to pick up our Paris Pass (admission to all museums).]

[I have reason to suspect this is the British Embassy.]

[Paris Opera House]

[Wouldn’t swear to it, but this and the photo below are different angles on the Opera House?]

[One of the supervisor’s favorite places.  She has fond memories from a previous visit many years ago.  Because it involves shopping!  😉  We’re shooting from the roof of the Galleries Lafayette, the Paris equivalent of Macy’s in New York City.]

[Which makes me wonder if this photo is out of order because it’s on street level?  You may think it’s just another photo of the Paris Opera House , but actually it’s featuring the Smart Car.  😉 ]

[Meanwhile, back on the roof of the Lafayette, photo number 247 of the Eiffel Tower.]

[And the Opera House . . .  ]

[And to the left of the Opera House . . . ]

[While the ladies shopped, I escaped to this rooftop setting where artificial turf provides a picnicy setting.]

[A rooftop view opposite the Opera House.]

[There’s a story to the domed roof and some day I may look it up.  What I did find surprising is that this store is the 2nd biggest tourist attraction in Paris after the Eiffel Tower?]

[More views, different angle for the Opera House.]

[Mont Martre in the distance . . . ]

[The distance in the distance  . . . ]

[And we’re back around to the Tower.]

[And with shopping complete, The Biddies have rejoined us topside!  😉  ]

[Monsieur Eiffel]

[On the road, errr subway, again to Musee d’Orsay.]

[It’s down here somewhere.]

[Aha, found!]

[On its plaza, a restaurant of the same name across the street.  We did not partake of the restaurant.]

[Views from the anteroom before entering the museum. The Orsay has marvelous art (you could spend a day in here) but unlike any other place we had been, no photography was allowed inside.  Nevertheless, I saw many people taking photos, some were reprimanded by staff but they couldn’t cover everyone.  I obeyed the rules because I did not want another black mark in my NSA files.]

[So for photography, we went out on the balconies.  🙂  ]

[Shooting through the statuary . . .]

[And across the river to Mont Martre.]

[Wave!]

[The Biddies line up their shots.]

[And back to the exterior statuary.]

[Tourists who generally tried to behave themselves, with Mont Martre in the background.]

[OMG, another selfie?]

[Self-identified]

[The Orsay has a thing about big clocks (?).]

[Back outside on plaza.]

[The Biddies decided it was time for a cool down.  As I recall, it was on this day that Reetz located an Air Canada office downtown and boldly went where no woman had gone before.  This was an executive office, not a place for customer complaints, but Reetz was not to be deterred.  She was finally granted access to some executive where she explained the plight of her lost luggage.  They offered promises to placate her at the moment – those promises ultimately were not kept.  She was finally re-united with her luggage a week after she got home.]

[Another fine dining experience . . . ]

[It’s been so long I have no recollection of this place?  Ha!]

[‘Twas a lovely evening for a walk home . . . so we did.  Some sights along the way . . .]

[Almost home, on Rue Cler.]

[The Biddies delight in the atmosphere.  I believe this was a night of the World Cup, and the restaurants were full of boisterous fans!]

That is so cute-a little disturbing-but cute! ~ The Nanner

Next up:  Whatever comes next.