What GD and CP REALLY did in Paris...

[Not Afraid]

95!

Well, I like the 4 Disney parks and will visit them again, but I am not much of a theme park enthusiast as I am a Disney enthusiast. I like to visit Knotts because it is old school fun for me, but I'll leave the others in Florida alone - except maybe Gator Land.

[Matterhorn Fan]

NA, what about Cypress Gardens?


Sorry to derail this thread--we all want to hear more about Paris!

[innerSpaceman]

I wanna hear about how GD and CP sparked all that rioting, and then managed to get out of Dodge unscathed.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Matterhorn Fan

Sorry to derail this thread--we all want to hear more about Paris!

If you insist. (crap, we haven't even started to sort through photos yet...)

So, enough about Disney for now, on to a couple Paris highlights.

I'll start at the very end, the last thing we did (except for dinner) on our last evening there. We visited the Pompidou, the modern art museum. Much like the glass pyramid at the Louvre, the Pompidou center is a constant source of controversy in this acient city. Personally, I hate the building. Not in a "newness has no place among the history in Paris" kind of way. The thing's just ugly. (see below)

However, the exhibit was awesome. We were turned away from the Dadaism exhibit on the top floor as the museum pass (a great purchase, walking past the ticket line for the D'Orsay was worth every penny alone) we had didn't include it. But not to worry, the main exhibit wonderful. They completely rotate the collection twice a year, and this time they were doing something unique. Instead of arranging things by style or artist or movement or media, they created an exhibit that deconstructed modern art. Each room was a study of different elements that define modern art and differentiate it from classic art. They'd have pieces from different artists, movements, styles, and medium but all sharing a common theme. And it was all accompanied by a very helpful pamphlet describing some of the pieces and constructing the message of the exhibit for you. Really well done.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

I wanna hear about how GD and CP sparked all that rioting, and then managed to get out of Dodge unscathed.

The secret is to travel with a forged Passport under a name that doesn't match your plane ticket.

[Mousey Girl]

Is the building still under construction or is always going to be that bad?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Mousey Girl

Is the building still under construction or is always going to be that bad?

That's its completed form, sadly enough.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I visited the Pompidou Center in 83 and I thought it was really cool. The reason it looks so "unfinished" is because instead of having all the ductwork inside the building, it's on the outside. All the pipes are color-coded.

• blue for air
• green for fluids
• yellow for electrical cables
• red for elevators and fire extinguishers

Because all the ductwork is on the outside, the interior is much more spacious than a typical building. Obviously, the design is not to everyone's taste, but for a building designed to be artistically unique, it totally works for me.

[€uroMeinke]

Personally, I loved the escalator tubes - especially in the rain. My best memory of the place was the ticket taker, who refused to take my day pass because it was an hour before closing - "please go in, but you must come back tomorrow and see the rest"

[Not Afraid]

Originally Posted by SzczerbiakManiac

I visited the Pompidou Center in 83 and I thought it was really cool. The reason it looks so "unfinished" is because instead of having all the ductwork inside the building, it's on the outside. All the pipes are color-coded.

• blue for air
• green for fluids
• yellow for electrical cables
• red for elevators and fire extinguishers

Because all the ductwork is on the outside, the interior is much more spacious than a typical building. Obviously, the design is not to everyone's taste, but for a building designed to be artistically unique, it totally works for me.

Thank you, SM. I thought this aspect of the building made it more fascinating architecturally and well as gave it a uniqe role within the City of Paris. The galleries are unlike any others and the views from the exterior elevator tubes is wonderful.

Remember, the World - especially the French - hated the Eiffel Tower as well at first.