When you think of Paris, the music of an accordion can be frequently heard wafting through the streets.
Along the banks of the Seine or in the looming shadows of the Tour Eiffel, there is no mistaking it’s music.
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St. Jacques Tower
Across from the Louvre is the Tower of St. Jacques. This Gothic tower is all that remains of the 16th-century Church of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie, “Saint James of the butchers”
Built in the early 1500’s, the tower’s opulent ornamentation reflects the wealth of the church’s patron. The butchers of Les Halles Market.
For more information check out…
Farewell Louvre
There is never enough time to fully explore the Louvre. Over 2.8 million visitors venture through it’s cavernous halls in a year. With over 380,000 objects, something is bound to be missed on your first visit.
A mere 20′ away from the Mona Lisa is this painting of “Flora”.
Paris Bordone was an Italian painter. His paintings of religious themes were created for some of the great churches of the 1500s.
Biagio d’Antonio’s painting of “The Carrying of The Cross” depicts Jesus on his way to Cavalry. In the lower right corner is a woman holding a piece of fabric with Jesus’s face on it. This is known as Veronica’s Veil. Although not mentioned in the Bible, the legend of a woman that wiped the blood and sweat off of Jesus’ face has been retold across the world. This is but one of many representations of the meeting.
In the Egyptian collection, a bronze statue of a cat is on display. This is the Goddess Bastet in her form as a feline. The Goddess certainly has her plate full. She was the Goddess of cats, the sun, the East, fire, love, intoxication, music, dancing, joy, celebration, fertility, secrets, magic, and sex, to name a few of her duties.
For more information check out these links…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil_of_Veronica
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Bordone
Going Bananas in Cologne
The name Thomas Baumgartel may not be a household name, but his contribution to world art scene cannot be forgotten. He is affectionately known as “Banana Sprayer” in grafitti circles.
As you venture about Cologne, keep an eye out for Baumgartel’s handiwork. In 1987, he spraypainted a banana on the Museum Ludwig. Later that same night he was apprehended in a major sweep and spent the night in jail.
The banana tag is seen as a badge of honor, patrons could tell a museum was worth visiting if it had been deemed so by Baumgartel.
Want to learn more and see Baumgartel’s studio, click below…
Shrine of the Three Wisemen
Dreikönigsschrein, the Reliquary of the Three Kings is a tomb where they say that the remains of the Three Wise Men are enshrined. Set in a huge display case behind the main altar of the Cologne Cathedral, this is considered to be the largest shrine in the western world.
It took the world renowned goldsmith, Nicolau de Verdun spent half of a century building this masterpiece. The shrine was completed in 1225 and the remains of the Magi were laid to rest here.
This golden Reliquary of the Three Kings is made of wood, coated with gold, silver, enamel, and adorned with precious and semi-precious stones.
According to the legend, Queen Helena, mother of Constantine travelled to the Middle East to find the remains and bring them back to Cologne. The reliquary is comprised of three sarcophagi, two on the bottom and one on top.
More about the Three Wisemen can be found at this link…
http://projects.leadr.msu.edu/medievalart/exhibits/show/reliquary_cathedral_comparison/three_magi
Das Rathaus in Koln
The Cologne City Hall is one of the oldest Rathauses in Germany. Documents that mention the City Hall date back as far as the mid-12th century referring to a “House of the citizens”. In the 14th century, the current city hall was built on its foundation.
In the early 15th Century, a tower resembling a church steeple was added. The 5 story tower of the Rathaus is decorated with 124 figures of emperors, kings, popes, honorary citizens of Cologne and patron saints of the city. Due to a poor choice of building materials the figures deteriorated over several centuries and were restored several times.
When standing in the square, take a look back at the city hall tower. Watch the clock every hour when it chimes. When the clock strikes, the bearded head beneath it shows tongue and starts teasing passerbys.
As you’re looking at the carved figures, pay special attention to what they are standing on. You will see a number of monkeys, musicians and hidden under a larger statue of Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden, there is a man giving oral sex to himself. Dating back to 1410, the obscene carving was a popular motif in the Middle Ages. It literally represents showing one’s backside to the authorities. The carvers wanted to show that they don’t care about the morals or the public appearance of the authority figures.
Konrad von Hochstaden was the Archbishop of Cologne from 1238 – 1261. His position as one of the seven elector seats of the Holy Roman Empire made him quite powerful. Kings throughout Europe beseeched him for his approval before their coronation. In addition to laying the foundation stone for the Koln Cathedral, it’s also thought he used his authority to implement a tax on beer. Probably a very poor decison given the number of breweries in the city.
If you want more information or plan a visit The Rathaus follow this link.
https://www.cologne-tourism.com/see-experience/poi/historic-town-hall/
The Elves Fountain
Near the Cathedral in Colgne is a charming fountain. The sculpted characters respresent the heroes of a German folksong. These “magic helpers” worked there magic at night when the citizens are fast asleep to help finish the households chores they has started earlier.
Even though the elves loved to be hard at work, they did not like being around humans. All went well until one evening the tailor’s wife decided she wanted to see the helpers. She scattered peas all over her floor in hopes that the little elves would slip on them and then she could rush in to see them for herself.
She heard a commotion and quickly lit her lantern and stomped her feet. The elves ran out of the house and were so offended that they left the city. The people of Cologne then had to finish all of there chores by themselves.
You can see the hardworking elves and the tailor’s wife with her lantern carved into the fountain.
Basilica Church of St. Ursula
Built on the ancient ruins of a Roman cemetery, where 11,000 virgins associated with the legend of Saint Ursula were supposedly buried. Inside the church is a reliquary featuring the bones of these martyred girls. The story of Saint Ursula is now considered to be fiction. It’s thought that there were originally 11 girls accompanying St. Ursula but over the years the letter M was mistaken for the Roman numeral for 1000.
Travels With Ackbar 