Roadboy Visits the Musee des Arts and Metiers and Returns to the Gardens of Versailles

Highlights Days 1-3

Well this has been a wonderful visit to Paris.  The weather has been sunny and temps are perfect.

My itinerary has included a lot of walking and sightseeing with friends. Some whom have never been here before and others who are well versed on the the City of Lights.

With a large group I have been going with the flow. Some of our group had taken time to plan some great events for the group. Yet, there was lots of time to set out for the places that only I wanted to visit. The mood in the city is festive as the seasons are changing and the trees are bursting with color. And the residents have been incredibly friendly everywhere we've gone.  Americans take great pride in grousing about Parisians, but somehow I always seem to find amazing residents who are open and very willing to share their city with the world. All it usually takes is a friendly smile and a "Bonjour".

This trip coincided with the Ryder Cup golf tournament as well as Paris Fashion Week. So that made for lots of celebrities in Paris.

I began the week with a quick return trip to Versailles to spend some time walking its amazing gardens. My last trip to Versailles was in February and i underestimated how long a visit would take. So there was not sufficient time to experience its spectacular gardens. Also being mid-winter they were dormant. This trip I spent a short time in the Palace and emphasized time in the gardens.       

Looking Up - Interior Palace Stair Tower

Versailles Orangery 
(Lake of the Swiss Guards Beyond)

The Marlborough Tower

Marie Antoinette's Hamlet 1786

After chatting with our architect host Chloe about Parisian museum's and hearing that the Musee des Arts et Metiers would make her "favorites" list. I decided to visit it between our lunch in the Eiffel Tower and our dinner cruise on the Seine. 

The Musee des Arts et Metiers (Museum of Art and Trade) is a truly fun place to get lost and geek out in for a couple of hours. It is not crowded and is important enough to merit it's very own Metro stop (decorated in a Jules Verne theme).

The Musee is woven together using and old church and a more traditional exhibition space. It is a perfect stop for any visiting architects, engineer or scientist. Inside you will find everything from old planes, trains and automobiles to kitchen appliances, turbines and a Cray supercomputer. 

At the bottom of the grand stairs I loved the giant steel diving suit. It is an artifact that evokes steampunk; perfect for a fantasy novel. It will be on display here while the Musee National de la Marine is being renovated

Carmagnolle Diving Suit Circa 1880

Hanging above the grand stairs is Clement Ader's fabric covered, bat inspired flying machine.

Clement Ader's Flying Machine 1897

Aside from the usual turbines and architectural models is a gallery dedicated to static and mechanical figurines. I really loved the way they freeze the eras in which they were created.

 

 Figurine Tightrope Walker (The Serpent) 1934

Piano Playing Monkey 1890

The model depicting the construction of the Statue of Liberty was intriguing to me. While I knew the Sculptor was Bartholdi I was not aware it was engineered by Gustave Eiffel. 

Lady Liberty Model

There were some wonderful clocks, radios and cameras on display as well and scientific instruments.

Flute Playing Pendulum Skeleton Clock 1790

The last stop for me was a visit to the exhibit hall crafted by re-purposing a church. Here, the volume of space has allowed everything from a Foucault Pendulum to some pretty cool cars and airplanes. 

The Church

This museum typically falls below most tourists radar making an especially nice place to spend a couple of hours in Paris. 

Roadboy's Travels © 2018