Paris 2021 Day Eight

Stephen is not fond of Baroque...um...stuff, and Ann leans much more to modern, so Kris and I headed out for a day of ornate-design-history visits. We started at the Hôtel de la Marine built in 1774 to the design of  Gabriel, an important architect from the time of Louis XV. Carefully-restored, it is filled with perfect examples of 18th-century design. It was first occupied by the guys who stored, repaired, and inventoried all the Kings furnishings so the nobles could no longer steal them for their own homes. From 1789 until 2015 it housed offices for the Ministry of the Navy, hence the name "Marine." We found macarons de cassis at Ladurée on our stroll to Place de l'Opéra. The ostentatious opera house was built by Charles Garnier whose name it bears. The over-the-top mid-19th-century design, out-Baroques Louis XIV's Baroque! But I have to say, it is impressive. All the would-be influencers clearly thought it was, too. On our way home, we walked down Rue de la Paix, through the Place Vendôme, and along the Rue de Rivoli, which has lost some of its chi-chi shops and has given over to vendors of tourist crap. For supper, we went to the Rue Mouffetard and ended up on the Place de la Contrascarpe as the rain began to fall.

Hôtel de la Marine

Exceptional parquet pattern

Yes, the parquet is original

Dining room...

...with a prettyish little wallpaper

Louis XVI-style bedroom

View from the loggia

The façade of the hôtel is a twin to the Hôtel de Crillon, and the two

sit on each side of the Rue Royale facing the 

Place de la Concorde in perfect symmetry

A Louis XV console

Macarons de cassis

The chi-chi shops have such nice bags

Palais Garnier

The Grand Staircase

Même chose

Theatre

Marc Chagall's 1964 ceiling 

 

Grand Foyer

View of Avenue de l'Opéra from the loggia 

The loggia

Place and Colonne Vendôme

Arcade of the Rue de Rivoli

Rue Mouffetard

Tagliatelli Bolognese and Spaghetti a la carbonara

Place de la Contrescarpe and the Rue Blainville leading to our

flat: the white building at the far end of the street is next to ours

Rain is forecast for tonight, but tomorrow should be fine. More later.

OXO

D.