Tag: collection

Five Essential Sights to See in Paris

Five Essential Sights to See in Paris

Every visit to Paris the capital city of France brings memorable nostalgic feelings. In every square mile there exist sights full of splendor and beauty.
Paris is rich in historical monuments and sights that are breathe catching. If you are making a first visit to Paris, there are plenty and worthy tourist attraction sights that you simply can not afford to miss. Here are five of the best Paris tourist attraction sights, frequented due to their popularity, historical importance and sheer aesthetic appeal.
1. The louvre
The louvre is a site that boost of the world’s largest and most diverse collections of pre-20th century paintings, sculptures, and decorative objects, The Louvre is one of Paris’ best tourist attractions site. Ever read or heard something about the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo? Then keep in mind that the louvre is the home of this famous artistic work. Admire the lovely works of Vermeer, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Leonardo Da Vinci and countless other artistic masters. The Louvre contains a rich history spanning from the ancient or medieval period to the modern day.
2. Notre Dame cathedral
A trip to Paris is never complete without a visit to this marvelous gothic architecture. It’s believed to be one of the best and beautiful cathedrals found in the entire Europe continent. Notre dame cathedral is beautifully designed with dramatic towers, stained glass, spire and statuary that are definite to take your breathe away.
This is considered to be the heart beat of ancient France. It’s believed that it took over 100 years of sheer hard work and labor to complete. You can climb the North tower to see Paris from the hunchback Quasimodo’s vantage. With the site you will understand why Notre Dame is one of Paris’ top tourist attraction sites.

3. Eiffel Tower
If there’s any breathe catching landmark in Paris is the Eiffel Tower. This magnificent tower represents an elegant and contemporary France. This iron Tower was built in 1889 for the world exposition by Gustave Eiffel. Though in the beginning, it was very unpopular with the residents of Paris who nearly pulled it down. But it currently boosts a record of over 220 million visitors. This Tower defines France and it could be very hard to imagine modern France without it.
4. Arc de Triomphe and the champs-Elysees
This 164 foot Arc de Triomphe which was commissioned by the Emperor Napoleon I was made to evoke military mighty and triumph and that is what exactly continue to do today. The monument was erected and built in an age when leaders erected one in their honor and to fulfill their egos. The monument’s architectural design and sculptures commemorate napoleon’s generals and soldiers’ varlour in battles. Make a tour to the Arc de Triomphe to culminate or walk down the equally grandiose Avenue des Champs-Elys?. You’ll definitely feel grand yourself.
5. Sacre Coeur and Montmartre
This is and unmisteakable white dome, it sits at absolutely the highest point in Paris on Montmartre knoll, or sometimes referred to as butte. This basilica, was consecrated in 1909, and is best known for its garish gold mosaic interiors and not forgetting its dramatic terraces. From here you can expect getting views of Paris on a clear day. You can take the funicular up using a metro ticket and stop over at Sacre Coeur as you explore the winding, village-like streets of Montmartre. After expending all your energy as you climb Montmartre’s formidable hills and stairs, remember to view a traditional Parisian cabaret at the legendary Moulin Rouge.

Ubud: Up Close & Personal

Ubud: Up Close & Personal

When I finished reading “Eat, Pray, Love” a couple of years ago, I fantasized about moving to Ubud; finding a cozy Balinese cottage in the middle of a rice paddy with a yoga studio right down the street.

When we actually landed in Ubud for the first time this summer, I couldn’t believe my eyes: the quaint artists’ village I had envisioned is actually a bustling mecca of restaurants, art galleries, jewelry shops, cafes and spas – not a yoga studio in sight let alone a spare square inch on the topsy turvy sidewalk we attempted to maneuver with the kids. Note to self: Ubud is not the place to bring a stroller; better off with a Kelty backpack carrier, for sure.

Even in the “slow” season which is regarded as October thru April, Ubud is a beehive of activity. Despite the pace though, there is a different energy here that feels deeper, more grounded than many of the coastal towns; you climb the mountain and the temperature drops a few degrees, coconut, banana, banyan and plumeria trees hover along steep precipices overlooking rocky, flowing streams. You have to take your time in Ubud. It is not the kind of place to spend half a day and feel like you’ve really seen what she has to offer.

The best strategy is to spend a few days and take each street slowly; shop for an hour then people watch inside a cafe and have a fresh watermelon juice or ginger tea. A fantastic souvenir that a few of the shops specialize in is a double-ply parachute fabric hammock; they are bright, durable and will remind the family of Bali for years to come. The jewelry selection is mind boggling, loungy; eco-fabric clothing shops for men and women as well as really fun children’s lines such as Dandelion Baby tempt you in every turn.

There is also art everywhere; good and bad. Dismiss the oversized, beret sporting Che Guevara portraits and duck into one of Ubud’s smart little art galleries such as T-artspace which features temporary exhibits of contemporary Indonesian artists. Right around the corner you’ll find Ganesha Bookshop which has a fabulous collection of Balinese Books and Bali Buddha; where Ubud’s “hippy set” go for a great vegetarian meal, organic necessities and locally made products.

If you’re in a heartier mood, head to the bright and beautiful two-story Laughing Buddha Bar for an amazing bowl of shrimp wonton soup and live music most nights of the week. And if you’re feeling really frisky, head to humble Naughty Nuri’s which boasts the most famous martini on the island. A great place to call home base is Honeymoon Guesthouses which is located within walking distance to everything and offers a fabulous cooking school as icing on the cake.

Dallas Tourist Attraction – Dallas Art Museum

Dallas Tourist Attraction – Dallas Art Museum

The Dallas Museum of Art, located at 1717 North Harwood in Dallas, Texas has existed in one form or other since 1903. It was originally known as the Dallas Art Association and exhibited paintings owned by the members at the Dallas Public Library. It moved to many different buildings over the years until it came to its current residence in 1984.
The current size of their collection is calculated at over 23,000 separate pieces of art representative of many different style, time periods, and cultures. This collection includes African art, pottery, and decorative clothing focusing on sub-Saharan art. This is made up primarily of two famous collections: the Clark and Frances Stillman Collection of Congo Sculpture and the collection of Gustav and Franyo Schindler. The American Historical collection exhibits paintings, sculptures, and manuscripts representative of the whole of North America. The collection at the Dallas Museum of Art also boasts many millions of dollars worth of art in the: Ancient Native-American, Ancient Mediterranean, Asian, Contemporary, European, Pacific Island- Polynesian, and Provenance Styles.
The jewel crowning the Dallas Museum of Art is the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection. It was donated in 1985 by Wendy Reves in memory of her late husband. This collection includes over 1,400 individual pieces of art composed of painting, sculpture, decorative pieces, textiles, ceramics, and worked silver in the Contemporary, Impressionist, and Post-Impressionist styles. Some of the more renowned works were done by Auguste Rodin, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Honor? Daumier, Gustave Courbet, ?douard Manet, Paul C?zanne, and Vincent van Gogh. The value of the Reves collection is estimated at over 30 million dollars. Such is its importance that the Dallas Museum of Art built a new 15,000 Square foot wing just to accommodate the collection.
A Museum of such size is also expected to host many traveling exhibitions, and the Dallas Museum of Art is no slouch in that regard. It hosts an average of 20 traveling exhibitions and displays each year. In the past two of the most notable have been Van Gogh’s Sheaves of Wheat and a large collection of paintings and sculpture by Matisse. The museum has been honored to be one of only four museums in the country that will be hosting the traveling exhibition “King Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs”, which will be arriving in the Fall of 2008 and departing in mid May of 2009. As one can imagine the art community of Dallas, Texas itself, and many surrounding states are eagerly looking forward to the once-in-a-lifetime visit.

Enjoying the Best of London’s Museum Scene

Enjoying the Best of London’s Museum Scene

As the capital of the United Kingdom and the largest city in Europe, London is home to a number of world famous museums. On a trip to London, it’s easy to spend several days exploring all the different museums and galleries, but it can be difficult knowing which of the London museums are worthy of your time.
The British Museum located in Great Russell Street in London is one of the largest and most interesting of all London’s museums, making it an easy choice for one of the holiday’s outings. Founded by an act of Parliament in 1753, the British Museum originally housed just the collections of Sir Hans Sloane but has grown to include collections that draw from all over the world and from right across history.
A trip to the British Museum offers a chance to not only see a history of Britain but also a chance to see famous artefacts from around the world including the Rosetta stone, sculptures from the Parthenon and the Portland Vase.
Another museum which always features highly on the ‘must-see list’ is the Natural History Museum of London. The museum is home to hundreds if not thousands of exciting exhibitions which focus on dinosaurs, insects and human biology.
Other popular exhibitions include those on ecology, the blue whale and a must if visiting with children – the earthquake experience.
If history doesn’t appeal, art is something which can be found throughout London. Of all the galleries across London, probably the most famous is the Tate Modern Gallery.
Situated in Bankside, the Tate Modern is Britain’s national museum of modern and contemporary art housing not just pieces from the British Isles but a number of collections from around the world as well.
Art lovers will be pleased to be given the opportunity to see works from artists such as Dali, Picasso, Warhol and Matisse – among others – for free.
Another slightly more modern art gallery which is extremely popular in London is the Madame Tussaud’s gallery. Set up by famous wax sculptor Marie Tussaud, the museum is home to a collection of wax sculptures of many prominent celebrities including several sports stars, musicians and world leaders.
Those visiting Madame Tussauds can expect to see models of sporting legends such as David Beckham, Sven-G?ran Eriksson and Wayne Rooney as well as musicians like Amy Winehouse, Beyonce and Britney Spears.
Finding the time to see everything is usually the biggest challenge on a trip to London. Thankfully most hotels in London or tourist information centres will be able to advice you on the amount of time you will need to allocate for each attraction, enabling you to plan your trip and allocate time for London’s best attractions.