National Gallery Museum-London

On May 8, 2024 By Travels with MelindaIn art, London, Museum, Travel, travel tips, travelling, UK, UncategorizedLeave a comment

The National Gallery Museum in London is celebrating its 200th birthday this year, which is yet another great reason to visit London soon (as if you needed a reason). Though I’ve been to London a few times, I’ve never had the time to enjoy this museum, so this trip we made it a priority! Located in Trafalgar Square, I recommend you spend some time walking around the square and soak up the atmosphere outside before entering this magnificent museum. The fountains, the lions, and statues are all great back drops for picture-taking. Climb the museum steps and be ready to walk amongst the vast amounts of art from Monet, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Rubens, Raphael, and so many more. Seriously, there is a whole gallery for just Rembrandts, one of the biggest collections of his art that I’ve seen, and I get around! Of course, Monet is my happy place and they had enough of his art to make me happy including one very large piece. Having been to his home and lily ponds in Giverny several times, I just connect with his calming pieces. We only had a few hours to enjoy the art but look forward to going back next time we are in London!

Having just been to the British Museum where there were no seats to sit and appreciate the exhibits, I was happy to see a variety of benches and even leather chairs spread out through the galleries so you could spend time just sitting and appreciating the art on the walls. The art was all hung from chains off poles near the ceiling, making it probably easier to move pieces and not hurting the walls. Make sure to look up and appreciate the beautiful ceilings and skylights throughout the museum.

We did see lots of tour groups with their guides giving lectures at the various major pieces of art. Because you can’t possibly see all the art on one visit, next time we plan to perhaps take a tour with someone who can bring the art to life with stories. We did try the app Smartify | A World of Art and Culture, Just for You – Smartify and were very impressed. You just scan the art, and it immediately pops us a few paragraphs about the artist and that particular piece. A great collaboration between art and technology. Give it a try next time you visit a museum!

CAFÉ IN THE CRYPT

After you walk miles around the museum, take a rest across the street in the stunning crypt of St. Martin-in-the-Fields cafe. The original brick-vaulted ceilings and historic tombstones lining the floor provide atmosphere and the food is tasty and well-priced. Check on their website for special events that turn the crypt into a music and cabaret venue.

ENTRY TO MUSEUM

While the museum is free (like most British museums!), we went online the day before at The National Gallery, London to get timed entry tickets, which allowed us even quicker access into the museum. If you don’t have timed tickets, go to the entry on the left of the columns and you’ll probably have to wait in line for a little while. If you have tickets, you can go in the entry to the right without the line. Either way, there is a security check as you get inside.

Unlike the British Museum where maps are free, you have to shell out $2GBP at the National Gallery to get a map but we did because it is useful to find your way around. It’s so big you could get lost! With two floors of galleries, they are grouped into three clusters: 17th, 18th century and Impressionist paintings and Renaissance, Dutch and Flemish paintings and finally medieval paintings. There were several temporary exhibitions that were all free.

GETTING THERE

Definitely a tourist magnet and meeting place, events can be happening at Trafalgar Square that can really be crowded, so check online sites like this one https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/283774-trafalgar-square before you go. Be aware that protests also commonly march here to gather and make a statement, especially on the weekends. Proceed cautiously around these large crowds to enter the museum.

The National Gallery is located just steps from the Charing Cross tube station making for an easy commute from wherever you are staying in London. Enjoy the journey!

Enjoying Monet’s Musee Marmottan in Paris-Girls Trip 2023

On November 22, 2023 By Travels with MelindaIn art, France, Girls Trip, Monet, Paris, Travel, travel tips, travellingLeave a comment

One day we were at Giverny seeing Monet’s home and gardens and the next day we were at the Musee Marmottan seeing all the artwork that Monet’s son donated from Giverny so that the public could enjoy it and enjoy it we did on Girls Trip 2023 in Paris!

On the far west side of Paris where the tour buses don’t often go, the Musee Marmottan is rarely crowded and houses an extensive Monet collection that you most likely haven’t seen before. I’ve been to museums all over the world and always seek out any Monets they have on display, but this is definitely a rare collection that any Monet lover should see at least once. There were two paintings of his children-he had eight! There is also a collection of paintings done as he lost his vision, so the coloring is very different from his blues/greens of earlier periods. These paintings are much more vibrant in tones of red and yellows. In addition to the Monets (all on the lowest level), the house is filled with other works of art to be appreciated. Enjoy the journey!

I learned that the term “Impressionism” was coined by an art critic in a review of Monet’s piece, “Impression, Sunrise”, (pictured below), which hangs in Musee Marmottan. According to Wikipedia, Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage of time), ordinary subject matter, unusual visual angles, and inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and experience. Impressionism originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

The Musee Marmottan is open Tuesday-Sunday (closed Mondays as are many museums in Paris!) 10-6 but open late on Thursdays. Though I have been to this museum several times and it has never been busy, I like to go first thing in the morning or in the evening on Thursday. It’s so wonderful to go to a beautiful museum in Paris and not experience it crowded in with a million tourists’ shoulder to shoulder! Buy tickets online or at the museum. No gardens to work through so this is a great place to visit on a rainy Paris day. I would put aside several hours to enjoy all that this museum has to offer. The gift shop is nice but as well curated as the one at Giverny if you are a shopper.

Address: 2, rue Louis-Boilly, 75016 Paris – France

Public transportation:

Métro

line 9, stop: La Muette or Ranelagh

RER

line C, stop: Boulainvilliers

Buses

Line 22, stop: La Muette–Boulainvilliers

Line 32, stop: Louis Boilly or Ranelagh

Line 52, stop: La Muette–Boulainvilliers

Line 63, stop: Porte de la Muette

Line 70, stop : Louis-Boilly

Line P.C. 1, stop: Ernest Hebert or Porte de Passy

YSL Perfection at SAM

On November 23, 2016November 23, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn Fashion, Museum, Seattle, UncategorizedLeave a comment

It was a dark and stormy afternoon with sheets of torrential rain coming down. In other words, a typical Seattle day-perfect for a stroll through the fantastic fashion exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum featuring Yves Saint Laurent in all his glory. YSL truly experienced an amazing journey from teen fashion prodigy to world famous designer and this exhibit running through 1/8/17 invites you into his world of fashion through a behind-the-scenes look at the designer’s life.

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The exhibit is so much more than the 100+ gorgeous outfits that YSL created. You can see his early sketches and paper dolls that he created as a teen fashion prodigy, the swatches and drawings that he used to create his collection, personal photos and much more.

YSL was born to create unique and original works of art that spanned a long and turbulent career. Like most artists, YSL fought childhood bullying first and then, later in adulthood, depression and addictions while somehow creating masterpieces that you can now view at the Seattle Art Museum. I loved seeing not only the final product but the genius behind the creations.

Our European Adventure continues..

On September 24, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, expat, Travel, vacation, walkingLeave a comment

So, I’ll try not to gush too much but OMG do I LOVE EUROPE! I love the history and architecture, the lack of tacky skyscrapers and shiny malls, the friendly folk who love football (soccer to you Americans) and laidback lifestyle. Yes, the coffee shops don’t open until 8 a.m. but since they don’t appear to go to work until 9-10 a.m., that works. Three hour dinner-sure! Keep on drinking and eating with your buddies-no rushing home to get some zzzz’s and be at work by 8 a.m. At our hotel today, around 3 p.m. a hotel employee was seen taking two huge bottles of icy vodka into a meeting room for a group-think it was a bank. Now that’s how you should conduct business! Think up an idea-take a shot to celebrate!

Luxurious elegance in lobby at Hotel Des Indes

We have received such wonderful service to the point where we have to wrestle our bags away from well-meaning hotel staff who want to assist us. We are very self-sufficient and used to wheeling around our own stuff, thank you. Get us museum tickets? Get us football tickets? Change out our cash to Euros? SURE! Our slightly ditzy hotel staff member was changing out some cash for us and doubled what she should have given us. Realizing her error, I handed her back $100 Euros and hopefully she will tell others, giving US tourists a good name for their honesty. Good karma, baby!

Speaking of good karma, how about that Pope flying around DC in that modest Fiat? Love that he is eating with the homeless instead of all those corrupt bickering politicians. You go Father! CNN International is covering all Pope all the time over here. While there are a few shows in English, the street signs here are all in Dutch-even China was easier to get around with signs everywhere that we could read. So far, we just guess and ask for help and everyone is quick to assist. Most people do also speak English which makes it easy to get around. BTW, always carry .50 euro coins with you as the public bathrooms all have attendants collecting money for use. At least they aren’t squats like China-hallelujah!

antique and book market in front of Hotel Des Indes

Today, we finished up our time in The Hague, a truly lovely city which Rick Steves doesn’t even recommend visiting. Rick, come on, don’t be a Hague-hater! I disagree with Steves-lots to enjoy there with the beach nearby and the Peace Palace and museums galore. We loved walking out of the Hotel Des Indes and seeing an antique/book market going on in the square. If only I had a huge container to utilize to send back furniture and paintings!!! I settled for a jazz CD and some antique postcards–my luggage is stuffed as it is. Then it was off to the Mauritshuis Museum to see the Vermeers, Rembrandts and Reubens in a beautiful mansion built in the 1600’s on a pond. So gorgeous and small enough not to overwhelm the senses.

Then, it was off to the train to zip back to Amsterdam for another stay at the Andaz-the best hotel chain around. If you haven’t stayed in one, treat yourself. We were lucky enough to stay for two months at the one in Shanghai as my temporary housing and they are in many cities now. The one in NYC is right by the library. They are small, well designed with unique rooms and the service is the best I have ever experienced. TOTALLY! With free mini-bar in room, free bikes to use (if my shoulder wasn’t hurting so bad), lavish breakfast included and free happy hour, it can’t be beat for amenities. Cheers! Tonight, we’re off to the Red Light District and a jazz club!