Showing posts with label Museums. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Museums. Show all posts

26 January 2020

Le Louvre Paris France




Le Louvre is a must see museum in Paris. The grand palace, which houses the museum, dates from the 1100s. The palace was the royal residence until 1870. Inside are vast collections of works from ancient civilizations as well as art from the Middle Ages until 1848. See the website for much more detail: louvre.fr

There are special exhibitions and events, which are on the website. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays as of the date of this post. It is open other days at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 6 or 9:45 p.m. on other days.

There is an entrance fee. Details can be found at the website. It is one of the places included in the Paris Pass.

It is located at 75058 Paris. The close metro is Palais-Royal Musee du Louvre lines 1 and 7

The nearby Tuileries Gardens are open at 7 or 7:30 a.m. depending on the time of year.

Of course, no visit is complete without seeing the Mona Lisa, which can be hard to see when busy.












And there's so much more to see-- a few examples of pictures.















I didn't see enough- I hope to return.














26 October 2019

MADAME TUSSAUDS of London England



It's been quite awhile since I visited Madame Tussauds of London. Perhaps I should return to this famous attraction. I see on the website they have so many new and interesting things to see.

The London attraction has been on Marylebone road since 1884. Madame Tussaud was born Marie Grosholtz in Strasbourg in 1761. She brought her exhibition to Britain in 1802.

Some scenes from yesteryear.



Jet lag- we arrived in London this morning





You might like this fun and informative guide to British words and phrases. 

Mind the Gap on AMAZON  and  GOOGLE



Website for Madame Tussauds of London https://www.madametussauds.com/london/en/

Have some fun with British Language and Culture - Get Mind the Gap 


UK on YouTube

My website www.suttong.com

Madame Tussauds May 2023

Google Map showing Madame Tussauds near Baker Street Station and Regent's Park





11 July 2019

National Museum of Ireland Dublin

Cross of Cong 12th Century

The National Museum of Ireland in Dublin is worth a visit even if you just spend an hour to see the treasures on the main floor. The collection of gold is impressive, but it is difficult to photograph given the lighting and glass enclosures.

Another fascinating area is the bodies of people preserved in the bogs. Several are on display. Below is Baronstown Man from County Kildare. He was found in 1953 during peat cutting. He is dated from the Early Iron Age, 200-400 CE.


Baronstown West Man 200-400 AD
St Patrick's Bell and Shrine are popular items.




The National Museum has four sites. We visited the Archaeology site on Kildare Street, Dublin.

Admission: FREE

Hours: Open daily except Christmas and Good Friday. Tuesday to Saturday 10-5; Sunday Monday 1-5 as of June 2019 but check the website for current information.  
Closed: Christmas Day and Good Friday.

Food: There is a place to eat.
Toilets: Available and clean.
Shop: There is a museum shop.
Luggage: Storage available.







23 May 2019

D-Day Allies Invade Nazi Europe An Overview and Timeline



D-Day was 6 June 1944

I was in Normandy, France for the 75th anniversary events. The sacrifices were incredible! So many died in the pursuit of freedom. D-Day was the beginning of the end of World War II.



Many Flags- People working together

D-Day is the day, the Allied forces of the United States, Great Britain, and Canada amassed the largest armada in history to invade German occupied France and liberate Western Europe forcing Germany and Italy out of World War II. 

The “D” refers to the designated day for the operation and the “H” in H-hour is the hour a scheduled operation began.


Troops from other allied nations were also represented: France, Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, Australia, Greece, Czechoslovakia, Norway, and New Zealand. 

Other nations were involved in the war effort at many other locations around the world. It was truly, and sadly, a world war.



Five Beaches of the D-Day Invasion

On 4 June, chief meteorologist James Stagg of Scotland told U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower the weather looked good for 6 June.  On 5 June Eisenhower gave the order for Operation Overlord—telling the troops, "The eyes of the world are upon you".

The invasion forces left southern England on 5 June 1944.


5 June On Our Way

17:00 The largest armada in world history left the south coast of England with troops, supplies, and ammunition. Eventually, naval forces would include 6,939 warships and vessels: 4, 126 landing crafts and boats, 1,213 combat ships, 736 other craft, and 864 merchant ships.


22:00 Airborne troops make final checks and begin boarding Horsa Gliders.




D-Day 6 June 1944

00:16 British paratroopers land on target at two bridges later named Pegasus and Horsa, on the path to Caen (Read more about Pegasus Bridge).


00:26 British forces defeat Germans to take Pegasus bridge. A nearby house (now a museum) is among the first liberated from German occupation.

Pegasus Bridge, Normandy / Geoff Sutton 2012

01:11 German General Marcks gets word of paratroopers, but decides to wait.

01:55 American paratroopers land around Sainte-Mère-Eglise on the path to Cherbourg. After several hours of fighting, the first village is liberated (Read more about the Americans at Sainte-Mère-Eglise).


U.S. Paratrooper Survives at Sainte-Mère-Eglise 

04:30 British capture the Merville Battery (Read more about the British at Merville).

05:23 Allied warships begin firing on the German defenses along the coast. Naval operations were under the command of British Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay.

06:00 American bombers join British bombers, but many bombs fall behind the German defenses. Over 2,000 British, Canadian, and American bombers attacked areas along the coast.

Landing Craft- National WWII Museum, New Orleans

6:30 H-Hour: Americans land on Omaha and Utah Beaches in specially designed landing craft (Higgin's Boats). The US zones were under the command of General Omar Bradley.

Utah Beach/ Geoff W Sutton 2012

07:00 U.S. Rangers scale the cliffs to attack the guns of Pointe-du-hoc (Read more about the Americans at Pointe-du-Hoc).
Pointe-du-Hoc, Normandy / Geoff W Sutton 2012

7:25 British forces land on Sword and Gold Beaches. 

British land at Sword Beach/ WWII Museum


Gold Beach in 2019



7:55
Canadian and British forces land on Juno Beach.


9:00 African-American Soldiers of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion reach the beaches. Their task to construct a curtain of hydrogen-filled balloons with steel cables over the beaches. Read more at NBC.

9:32 BBC broadcasts that the allies have landed in France to audiences in the UK and worldwide.

10:15 German General Rommel learns of the invasion and returns to France. He had been celebrating a birthday in Germany.

11:00 Americans secure Vierville.

11:15 Canadians and British capture Saint Aubin-sur-Mer (Calvados).

12:00 Hitler at his Bavarian Alps Headquarters believes the allies will be driven back.

14:00 Soldiers continue to land with equipment.

14:30 Allies reach Caen but do not capture it. Germans execute previously captured French resistance fighters.

15:00 The first sections of ingeniously designed prefabricated harbours arrive (Mulberry Harbours) from England.

18:00 German Panzer division attacks British forces.

20:00 British and Canadians join forces and approach Bayeux.

20:10 Canadians capture Taillerville.

21:00 More than 140,000 Allies have landed along 55 miles.

At the end of D-Day, 4,413 allies died. Many are buried in the cemeteries at Normandy. When we consider the entire battle of Normandy, more than 425,000 men were killed, injured, or missing. Among the allied airmen, 16,714 died and 37,00 died amongst the ground forces.

Remembering







Further Reading and Resources





D-Day Illustrated Edition by Stephen E. Ambrose








D-Day Girls  The Spies Who Armed the Resistance...




75th Anniversary of D-Day --  Video Clips from YouTube

An overview of our photos and video clips- including the Red Arrows flyover


The New British Memorial in Normandy


PM Theresa May stops for a visit.



Marching Band plays at the end of the Ceremony



The BBC coverage of the 75th Anniversary Ceremony



Places to Visit




National World War II Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana USA
  This museum complex is worth 2-3 days to begin to appreciate the scope of the global war.

     D-Day Exhibit



     Path to Tokyo




    German U-Boat and Allied warplanes

More Websites












20 May 2019

British Museum London




The British Museum in London is a favourite place for many. The lines can be long during holidays and when special exhibits are featured. It's also a favourite place for school children on a mission to complete their lessons. However, I have always enjoyed my visits and found myself unable to see it all in one day.

The collections are organised in a few ways as you will see on the floor plan available on the website. Because there is so much to see, it is best to plan a visit. The exhibits are organised by parts of the world and by time period. Examples include The Americas, Africa, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Rome, and Europe. There are also themed collections such as Enlightenment and Living and Dying.

Exhibits from the ancient world are incredible.







Jehu pays tribute





















Rosetta Stone



The Sutton Hoo Treasure is an amazing find ( I suppose I'm not related).





Travel notes

Location: Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG

Transportation: Several underground stations are nearby e.g., Russell Square and Holborn. Many busses stop nearby.

Security: There is a bag search and large luggage is not permitted- storage is available at nearby stations like Euston and Kings Cross

Food: There is food service in the Museum

Admission: Free general admission. Some exhibitions must be booked in advance-see the website


You might like this fun and informative guide to British words and phrases.

Mind the Gap on AMAZON  and  GOOGLE













08 January 2018

World War II Museum Part I







Enter the outstanding  National WW II Museum via the Lousiana Memorial Pavilion. After purchasing your tickets (I bought the two-day ticket with 4D experience), head over to the Train Car.

Inside the train car you get ready to ship off to war following a brief film. Then head upstairs for the D-Day (or other) exhibits. I found the D-Day Exhibit well-organized and informative with plenty of artifacts.

Based on my selected 4-D Film Experience admission time, I walked across the covered bridge to the next building to enter the Solomon Victory Theater. I got a center seat with a good view of the large screen. The film, Beyond All Aboundaries, narrated by Tom Hanks, is a dramatic overview of WWII enhanced with multiple visual layers, stage props, simulated snowfall, and rumbling seats. It's a worthwhile addition to the entry fee. Below is a trailer from YouTube.




I returned to the main entry building to review the Home Front exhibit. You will see various scenes from 1940s America along with artifacts.






















In between scheduled events, I walked around the large vehicles on the main floor.













There's more to see in other buildings, which I will include in separate posts.

Perspective: This is an American Museum, which focuses on the American forces. That said, the people of the USA contributed so many lives and resources to defeating Germany, Japan, and Italy thus, any story of the war would need to emphasize the role of the USA.

The focus is primarily on the military accomplishments. The contributions of other Americans are acknowledged along with some of the dishonorable aspects such as the treatment of African Americans and Japanese Americans.

Fees: The Museum is NOT free. The tickets are pricey for a museum but I think the experience is worth paying for.

Food: There is a cafe near the Solomon Victory Theater. Prices are expensive as in many museums. There are a variety of restaurants within walking distance.

Times: See the website for details. The museums are open most days. When I visited, the hours were 9 to 5. I spent most of two days at the museums but took a leisurely lunch nearby.

Parking & Transportation: There is parking nearby. I stayed at a nearby hotel and just walked to the museum. Public transportation is available.

Location: 945 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130 USA



RELATED POSTS

D-Day Exhibit

ROAD TO BERLIN

PATH TO TOKYO

World War II Memorial Washington DC

HOLOCAUST MUSEUM DC

My Website: www.suttong.com 


MUSEUM Website:  https://www.nationalww2museum.org/


15 November 2017

United States Botanic Garden

U S Botanic Garden / Geoff W. Sutton 2017
The U S Botanic Garden in Washington DC is a great stop for one or several hours. We went on a cold gray day in November--a good place to warm up in beautiful surrounds. And there is no admission fee.



The conservatory is organized by garden themes.


















You can take a free tour or follow your own path on provided maps. There are also outside areas.


Food service- there are no dining facilities but there are restaurants nearby- on 3rd street and in nearby museums.

Photography is permitted- see the website for policies.

Shops- there is no gift shop

Website- you can find helpful information at usbg.gov

PLACES TO VISIT IN WASHINGTON DC
Here’s a few places to see along with some photos and links to information.


Monuments and Memorials


Museums


And here’s my webpage  www.suttong.com