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Introduction

Eiffel tower, a genesis and anecdotes

Champ de Mars-Rue Cler-Hotel des Invalides

Eglise Saint-Louis Dome Invalides Musee Rodin

Anecdotes of a prestigious neighborhood

Rue du Bac-Chapel of miraculous medal Museé Maillol

Musee d'Orsay
Introduction

Musee d'Orsay
Ground-level, impressionism before 1870

Musee d'Orsay
Upper level, Impressionists and neo-Impressionism

Musee d'Orsay: medium level and end of visit

Paris-7th arr-Champ de Mars-Rue Cler-Hotel des Invalides

Leaving the Eiffel tower adventure, notice that this tower rises above a perfectly symmetric designed planned to perfection area. “Behind “ the tower you have the jardins du Trocadero (the 16th arrondissement) connected to the left bank by the pont d’Iéna, surrounded by the two semi-circles of the Palais Chaillot. In “front” of the tower, the meticulous, geometric well cared –off park du CHAMP DE MARS. It was an area where wine was cultivated and vegetables grown , sold by merchants to the customers.  It was in fact designed to connect the “ECOLE MILITAIRE” and the Seine. Mme de Pompadour created this place to drill  ” an train 500 “gentilshommes” to serve in the ranks of the king’s army. A certain young man, named Napoleon Bonaparte stayed for a while between its walls. He left in 1785 with the rank of sub-lieutenant with the comments:" I will go very far if circumstances will permit. The Ecole Militaire is still today a training and management centre for the French army. 
In 1785, the ditches of  the Champ de Mars were used to grow potatoes.   In our days the park du Champ de Mars is the favourite scene for “boule players”, a anti-depressive promenade for the neurotic apartment dogs and you can see lively chattering children walk in neat rows through the lanes.  

Third age at champ de Mars

Let’s continue the walk. Make a left into the boulevard de la Motte Piquet, cross the boulevard Bousquet and the first street to the left is the RUE CLER, a lively, colourful market street. In the rue du Camp de Mars, except the presence of one of my favourite inexpensive Parisian charm hotels “Hotel du Champ de Mars”, you can buy wonderful cheese at the shop of Anne-Marie-Cantin. Superb quality of cheeses, even in her international branches like in Brussels. Return rue Cler and make a right at the rue de Grenelle (excellent bread at bakery Poujouran!). Suddenly we are standing in front of the Invalides. Don’t worry: the canons of the former house of war invalids are out of order! ;-)They only symbolically threaten the car traffic on the Esplanade.

The INVALIDES is a huge ensemble. Different parts constitute this monumental ensemble. It’s in 1671 that Louis XIV decides the construction of a “hotel-barrack” for war invalids. He creates l'Institut National des Invalides that houses up to 4000 people. This was the idea of the king:" let's not cut out of the world, those who served the nation so well). But instead of the first planned barrack, the architect Bruant builds an immense severe but harmonious façade, making it one of the greatest achievements of the reign of Louis XIV. As the hotel is built far from the Seine shore, Robert de Cotte organizes a splendid esplanade in 1704 (500 meters long, 250 meters wide. 
    The wrought-iron access gate opens a view on flower-beds towards the hotel des Invalides with its dome and the church Saint-Louis. Penetrate now in the " cour d'honneur" (court of honour) of the hotel des Invalides, very austere, with as only decorations the sculpted garret-windows. It is in this square that great military parades and prestigious bourgeois weddings take place. Look around, at one side, the Musee de l'Armee, at the other side, Musee des Plans-Reliefs. In fundum, the church Saint-Louis.  

Cour d'honneur Invalides

The MUSEE DE L’ARMEE occupies the two sides of the cour d’honneur, making it one of the richest in the world. It exposes harnesses, uniforms, swords, old rifles and other arms, of which the rapier of Francois 1er and the martial equipment of Henri II. A section is dedicated to WWI and WWII. For this last war a lot of testimonies and documents. (Quote Routard de Paris): you can see the original edition of "Mein Kampf". Also an incredible nazi propaganda leaflet  trying to demonstrate that the dollar paid the Jewish war and discovering the proof on the bill itself!  Moving section the clandestine press, fake papers, etc... Terrible photographs of the Pathology museum of Buchenwald.
The MUSEE DES PLANS RELIEFS with 24 remarkable small-scale models of fortresses and fortified cities in French history (Mont Saint Michel, Belle-Ile, Ile de Ré, Oléron, Bayonne, Perpignan, Chateau-d’If, Antibes, Iles des Lérins…..)is located on the 4th floor. Last time I was there it was in renovation.
But now it’s time to have a peek in the Eglise Saint-Louis and the famous Dome des Invalides where Napoleon was transported from Sainte-Hélène. But that’s for next article.

Bibliography: 

Vie et histoire des arrondissements de Paris, ed.Hervas, 1985-1988, 20 volumes- Le piéton de Paris, by L.P. Fargue, ed.Gallimard 1997—Rive Gauche, une expérience unique, by Cl.Evrard, ed.Albin 1991-Dictionnaire historique des rues de Paris, by J.Hillairet, ed.Minuit 1985, Guides du Routard 1998-99, ed.Hachette, Napoleon, by Jacques Bainville, ed.Rencontres.