Foundation Louis Vuitton AKA "That New Frank Gehry Museum Near Paris"

Our friend Chi's visit coincided with the opening weekend of the new Louis Vuitton Foundation museum designed by Frank Gehry.  The museum resembles a tall ship with billowing white sails, and it's located in the huge Bois de Boulogne park on the western edge of Paris proper.  From Paris, all it takes to get there is an easy metro ride and a 10-minute walk.

The first photo is of the "prow" of the ship.  These billowing white superstructures resemble taut sails in a strong wind.  Gehry even designed the white stripes to evoke the seams on sails.

This is from near the rear of the "ship" looking forward up the side.

Lots of people came to see the new architectural landmark.  The visitors are reflected in the glass.  I like how the shape of the glass elongates their forms.

The photo below is taken from the front.  From this angle, you can see the waterfall flowing down to the "hull."  Also, this angle allows you to see how the building is sunken thirty or so feet below street level.  The water flows into a pool around the base.  This pool continues the length of the building, as if the whole building is floating.

The photo below shows where the water meets the front of the building.  An appropriate place for the chic and glamorous to hang out.  My guess is this will be featured in a sci-fi movie soon.  I'm visualizing using this as a dramatic backdrop to a meeting of the rebels with a double agent from galactic command.

The light was getting better.

This pool in front feeds the waterfall, but was clearly designed to provide nice reflections as well.

I was prepared to be unimpressed, but instead I was really glad we made the effort to get out there.  Go see it if you get the chance!

Chateau de Chantilly - Only a 24-Minute Train from Paris

Here in Paris, the winter is dark, cold, rainy, and windy.  That's why we have to make the most of every sunny weekend day in the fall.  Last weekend was really beautiful weather here, so we had to get out.  We read that the Chateau de Chantilly has huge grounds, with several styles of garden. So, we took the metro to Gare du Nord and then took a real train ride of only 24 minutes to get there.  It's a pleasant 15-20 minute walk to the chateau from the train station.  The chateau also has an impressive book collection, an impressive art collection, a "living horse museum", which is exactly what it says it is - live horses of various types on view in stalls for our benefit.  Here are a few of the sights around the sprawling gardens.  Below is the chateau itself.  

Indulging my creative side a bit in the next two.  But bear with me.  If you look carefully, you'll see they aren't just a mush of colors.  It's trees reflected in the canal, and fish under the water.  Just a photo of what's right there in front of me.  No tricks!  Inspired by Van Gogh and Monet and some modern photographers too. 

The dark gray koi watched us from under the water, hoping we would throw them a snack. Funny to think these fish can watch things outside the water and be smart enough to anticipate that food may be coming their way.