Trip Day 55 – Monet’s Lillies

Well it is Thursday and another day of strike action is planed, thankfully the museums haven’t been majorly effected so today I am off to see Monet’s Lillies, these are housed at the Museum de Orangerie. To get there I catch the Metro to the gardened in front of the Louvre and it is a short stroll through the gardens to the museum. Monet’s paintings are housed in 2 oval rooms, each painting is about the size of a bus and are very interesting to look at. It is amazing how when you look at these paintings close up the heavy brush strokes and liberal use of colours almost look childish but back away and look at them from a distance and the colours blend to make the pictures look completely different, quite amazing.

After the Museum I head off to visit another museum, the Museum de L’Almee which is a museum for the armies of France. This museum also houses Napoleons tomb in the soldiers church. For anyone that has a passion for ancient weapons either swords or guns then this is the place for you. I have never seen such a collection of ancient weapons, there must be hundreds of weapons, very interesting.

Napoleons casket is housed in the church in the grounds of the Museum, and the museum is housed in the Hotel de Invalides, this hotel was built buy Frances king to take care of his injured soldiers and show them his appreciation for there service. The church was built with 2 entrances one for the King and on for his soldiers this way they could worship together.

Napoleons body was interned here and a special crypt built under the church. It is a tribute to napoleon in all its glory, there is a statue of him and marble scenes adorn the walls, and then his body is centre stage in cased in 5 different coffins.