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After my article on art with the Louvre, I wanted to choose another universe that I love, you know how much I love theme parks! Reread: Last year, family & fiends took me to Gallic territory to celebrate my birthday and I had a great time despite the cool and capricious weather for a month of July ...  From the height of his 7m (23ft), weighing no less than 4 tons, Asterix observes the arrival of visitors, perched at a height of 30m (98ft)! It was one of his dads, Albert Uderzo, who had the idea of a theme park in 1981. However, it will take 8 years of reflection, preparation including 2 years of construction, before his dream was born in 1989. Since 2002, the park belongs to the Compagnie des Alpes, a French company that manages several ski resorts including Méribel, where I grew up, but also other tourist attractions such as Futuroscope, Walibi and the Grévin Museum. Today, Parc Astérix is in 3rd place (number of visitors) in France, behind Disneyland Paris, the Disney Studios and ahead of Futuroscope. Rich in sumptuous decor and full of humour, you immediately feel immersed in Gaulish country and in a good mood ... Obviously, none of this would exist without the boundless imagination of the French comic book creators, René Goscinny, screenwriter and Albert Uderzo, designer. Friends for many years, they chose to create historical characters, Asterix, Obelix and all the indomitable Gauls were born in 1959. Gauls who resist the Roman Empire thanks to a magic potion made by their druid Getafix. Albert Uderzo continues the series alone after the death of his friend in 1977, then since 2013 Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad are in charge of perpetuating this great adventure. Albert Uderzo died in 2020 at the age of 92. And a fabulous story with 38 books, translated into 111 languages and dialects! And nothing is funnier than looking for all these characters across the park ... Look, it looks like Queen Laeti is visiting. Asterix and Cleopatra is one of my favourite books and here it is widely represented with a whole universe dedicated to it: But my favourite area, Greece of course! Since my Solo Wedding in Santorini, you know I’m kind of half-Greek now 😊 Of course, what I also like about this park are the rollercoasters! And knowing that I tested many of them around the world, I can tell you with certainty that this park is full of great surprises. Oz Iris at 40m (131ft) high and more than 90km/h, the Tonnerre de Zeus, certainly one of the most impressive that I’ve seen because it’s an entirely wooden construction, 84km/h and above all a vertiginous drop of 29m (95ft). And I've heard that the Tonnerre 2 Zeus is currently in progress ... Goudurix, my favourite, 7 times upside down at 92km/h and up to 36m (118ft) in height, or 12 floors of a building! But also, the Trace du Hourra, the Cheval de Troie and the last one, Pegase Express, rich in new technology, it combines thrills with great fear… but I won't tell you more… Be prepared to be thrilled! But we also have the right to do more relaxing rides ... And after such a day, the souvenir shop is essential ... Anyway, wonderful memories and an unforgettable Gallic adventure! As a reminder, during the summer vacation (July-August), I only publish 2 articles per month. But find my daily photos of Paris on Instagram ... Next Article: August 14, 2021! Love & Joy, L.
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I promised you several articles on the Louvre Museum, so here is the 2nd opus. Passionate about art, the Louvre Museum is an incredible place to satisfy my curiosity as its treasures are countless. We’ve just celebrated Bastille Day in France, and for the occasion I wanted to honour French painting. And to start, I chose " La Liberté guidant le people " (Liberty leading the people) by Eugène Delacroix. Although this painting refers to the riots of July 1830 which led to the abdication of Charles X, and not to the French Revolution & the Storming of the Bastille, that we celebrate every July 14, this painting remains an important symbol of the French Republic. We see the tricolour flag as well as Liberty wearing the Phrygian cap. Delacroix is one of my favourite painters and this incredible artwork (260 x 325cm) is exhibited at the Louvre Museum in Paris among other of his masterpieces ... I’m planning an article which will be entirely dedicated to him, so much there is to say about this extraordinary artist. Another painting that attracts many visitors: The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault. Another French romantic painter, this spectacular work from 1819 (491 x 716cm) also tells a historical event: the wreck of the frigate Méduse of the French colonial navy. She stranded in 1816 off the coast of Mauritania on her way to Senegal to transport equipment and personnel. On a makeshift raft, 147 people tried to survive for several days, cannibalism included. Only 10 people ultimately escaped death. The painter has researched extensively and even met survivors to create this disturbing and magnificent work that cemented his reputation. Still in the historical context, a once again very famous painting: The Coronation of Napoleon. Painting from 1807 by Jacques-Louis David, one cannot miss this neoclassical work of 621 × 969 cm! Obviously representing the coronation of Napoleon I and Empress Joséphine in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris in 1804 and not at Reims Cathedral like the previous Kings of France. No less than 191 people are faithfully reproduced in this artwork. The artist realised an almost identical second painting, which is now on display at the Palace of Versailles. Jacques-Louis David, a very influential painter, has been the master of two generations of artists. I’d like to conlude with Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres and another important event in French history: Joan of Arc at the coronation of King Charles VII, in the Cathedral of Reims (1429). Ingres, disciple of Jacques-Louis David of course! I’ve previously talked about Reims and its history:  I hope that with this article you discovered or rediscovered some gems of French painting. For those who wanted to see the Mona Lisa, I invite you to reread my Article Louvre Museum. But also:  No article next week I’ll be settling in Paris for the summer! Which presages many new adventures and exhibitions to tell you. But you can still re-read all the articles about my Solo Wedding in Santorini: LINK. Obviously, I’ll stay active on my social media: Next article: July 31, 2021! Love & Joy, L. If you follow me on my social media you know I celebrated my birthday with style, and even royally! This is always a celebration that I particularly honour, and since my Solo Wedding in Santorini I must say that I've certainly followed this rule (re-read Time Travel). And after Santorini, London and Paris, I was planning to celebrate it in Milan, however with the current situation, I preferred to stay in France and do it with my family in the Alps where I grew up. However, being born in July, a summer baby, I chose an aquatic atmosphere ...  After the cancellation of Milan, the mermaid theme immediately came to my mind, yet I'm not a particular fan, you know I love Unicorns (read my article Unicorns). And in Disney's Little Mermaid, I much prefer Ursula, the wicked octopus. I admit I like the vilains a lot: Cruella (101 Dalmatians), Maleficent, the Evil Queen (Snow White). My shrink would definitely have something to say about it if I had one. In short, while this decoration is normally easy to find in specialised stores, it turns out that the main suppliers for this theme are American and weren’t able to supply the shops with the Covid ... So, I had to be creative to satisfy my marine desires. Siren comes from ancient Greek, and in Greek mythology this is a half-woman, half-bird creature (hence my wings at the beginning of the article), while in the Scandinavian culture she’s half fish (as in The Little Mermaid, the tale of Hans Christian Andersen). While it’s true that on ancient Greek pottery they’re clearly distinguished as birds, in my recollections in Homer's Odyssey they are described as naked women by the water ... In French, the same word is used “sirène”, while in English, "siren" is used for Greek sirens, and "mermaid" for others. In both cases, they’re associated with the sea, and the myths, tales and stories about them are still fascinating. I decided not to discriminate anyone, I’m the Queen of all, sirens & mermaids 😊
I love organising events and decorating is my thing. So, I was able to please my heart & the result reached my expectations:
"Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail." For those who know me, well you never get bored with me ... Then, polaroid photoshoot with accessories, nothing better to relax and have some good laughs. The guestbook required a little effort from my guests, they had to paint a picture of their choice and add a note. And the Under the Ocean Game, blindfolded, we had to stick a unicorn in the place chosen by the other participants (back of the turtle, fish, seabed…). Everyone loved it, young and old alike! And my mum won!! Ocean Water to rehydrate and Seaweed Juice to refresh (love the colourings!). (Fake) crabs, octopus, stars and real Greek dishes (Greek salad, pita, spanakopita) to remind us of Ulysses and the Odyssey. Obviously, the cake, well the cakes ... My pastry chef, my sister! Mermaid tail, bikini and rubber ring, everything you need for a mermaid at the beach despite a rainy day ... I had never had a themed birthday party like this before, there is no age for having fun ... Thank you to my family and friends for a wonderful birthday party, yet another unforgettable year, looking forward to what next year has in store for me!! My previous articles: And I’d like to end this article with the caption I posted on my social media on my birthday: Happy Birthday to me!!  Have a fantastic week! Love & Joy, L. PS: Luca is a wonderful movie ;) |
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