Paris: new/old

The girls were so excited about Paris... recognising icons and linking in with 
history lessons made it such an informed part of the trip for them. Basically, 
it was all about the Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa and the Palace of Versailles 
for them.

For us, it was seeing things anew through their eyes... I kept thinking how Paris 
is the ultimate postmodern city - the new sits so well amongst the old, and both 
are everywhere interacting in different ways.





As it happens, this very concept was being played out at the Palace of Versailles 
where they had an exhibition on 18th century fashion, showing original pieces 
juxtaposed with modern interpretations by the likes of Vivienne Westwood, 
Alexander McQueen, Comme des Garcons etc. 








It was heavenly. My fingers were itching to see how pieces had been constructed. 
I would have loved some displays showing how the patterns crossed over, but 
unfortunately, even lingering was a difficult exercise in these rooms... the long 
walk to the Grand Trianon where the exhibition was hosted meant that only the 
diehard fans attended... they were many and they were ferocious in their elbowing 
to get the best view! ;) This was the other exhibition where no photos were allowed, 
so the pictures above are borrowed from here.


We took plenty of photos around the rest of Versailles though... ;)





We covered a lot of ground whilst in Paris, mostly walking from one site to the next... 
but Versailles took up an entire day. It was massive, especially the grounds which 
were so breathtaking.





As much as I loved visiting the 18th century (particularly the fashion exhibition) I 
have to admit that my heart belongs to the 'modern' era, ie. 1905 - 1960... Hardly 
surprising then that favourite place in Paris was for me the Pompidou Centre.





I love this place... I love the building... I love the art... it is perfection :)
Kupka, Sonia Delaunay... all my favourites were there...





There was also some fabulous street art out and about too. I know it's quite an 
unpopular form of art, but I love it. It's often so clever. Again I admire how it works 
by playing the old off against the new.





Okay, I'm sure anyone who is still reading these posts is heartily tired of it all.
Thanks for bearing with me. I guess this blog is as much a journal for me as well as 
a place where I can show things I think you might like... So, travel posts are over. ;)


I'll leave you with a YouTube clip about the Versailles exhibition, 18th Century Back 
in Fashion: