Milos - Stuff the French Stole?

Exact replica of Venus de Milo (same material?) near where the original was found. [7078]

Our first port of call on the Sea Cloud having left the Greece mainland was the volcanic caldera of Milos at the south-west corner of the Cyclades island group. in the Aegean Sea. It is SSW of Pireaus. From 15,000 years ago, obsidian (a glass-like volcanic rock) was mined in Milos and shipped far and wide for razor-sharp weaponry and stone tools. Mining maybe that long ago, but it must have been by sea-farers because archeologists think that permanent habitation does not appear to have started on Milos until, maybe, 2000BC when the Bronze Age put an end to obsidian's importance.

Sea Cloud tender heading towards the Milos town of Adamantos. [7040]

Probably Milos' greatest claim to fame is that it is the place where the infamous 2m tall Parian marble statue Venus de Milo was discovered by a Greek farmer, in 1820, and encouraged to excavate it by a French amateur archeologist. The Venus was found in a "niche" in a structure between the ancient Milos city wall, and a stadium. At that stage, Milos was part of the Ottoman Empire, so there were some shenanigans, but in the end it was "bought" and wound up in France where it was installed in the Louvre in 1821 on the order of Louis XVIII. Unusually, the damaged statue was not restored, so it remains armless. The statue is thought to be of Aphrodite, a legendary beauty and the Greek goddess of love, beauty and sex, but the Roman name "Venus" has stuck.

Gemma, one the two, truly excellent, local guides travelling with us on the Sea Cloud. [7097]

The 2nd Century BC Venus de Milo was found and excavated in 1820 by a farmer in a "niche" in this ancient structure. [7088]

We spent a long morning on Milos, being tendered in from the Sea Cloud, not on Zodiacs as we expected, but on the ship's lifeboats. We came ashore at the town of Adamantis, were bussed around to see coastline sights, the Venus' original location, an Hellenic era theatre.

Spectacular white perlite (volcanic glass with minerals) coastline at Sarakiniko Beach on Milos. [7054]

Brilliant white perlite formations at Sarakiniko Beach on Milos. [7061]

A Greek classical era theatre near Trypiti and overlooking the village of Klima within the caldera of Milos. [7104]

Constructed during the Hellenistic Period in the 3rd century BC, this once pristine white marble 5000 seat theatre was later rebuilt by the Romans. [7115]

Our guiding completed, we then had the opportunity to stroll around hilltop towns of Tripity and Plaka, and, down the bottom, the port town itself. We undestand that ancient Greeks built these hilltop towns, despite the difficulty of getting to them, to hide from and better defend from pirates (500BC onwards). Port towns were very susceptible but in the hills, whole villages could hide and build better fortifications.

Colorful facade in the highlands town of Plaka. [7126]

Sun and shade in the Milos town of Plaka. [7128]

Fruit display designed to lure customers into a jewellery store in Plaka. [7130]

Original well in Plaka on Milos. [7132]

Clare's favourite cafe repast on a hot day. [2716]

One of many stone mosaics in public squares in Plaka. [7137]

Shading sails in Plaka on Milos. [7154]

Couple from the Sea Cloud relaxing in a waterfront bar in Milos' port town of Adamanta. [7171]

Colour and structure in the Milos port town of Adamanta. [7177]

Tender taking us back to the Sea Cloud. [7157]

The Milos caldera is evident from this photo map which shows where the pictures in this blog were taken. Obviously we have only scratched the mineralised surface of Milos! The first eruption was millions of years ago, the latest in 140AD. The volcano is classified as "dormant".

Parched in Paris...

In a city of beautiful buidlings, this may be the fairest of them all, the Paris Opera.

No matter how you look at it, Paris is the most wonderful city, but a heatwave here over the last week has strained the friendship somewhat. On the familiar green Pharmacy beacons on every main street, we have seen temperatures up to 36C, and would not be surprised if it has been hotter than that. The city is sweltering, the crowded Metro is overpowering, the streets crowded with locals and tourists, but our hotel room has been blissfully cool and quiet. It's windy too, and the gravel surface has turned the beautiful Tuleries Gardens into an unpleasant dust storm. Some businesses use fans and sprayed water to cool passing potential customers in the hope that they will linger. In the late afternoon (like, 8pm) it was so oppressive and the sky so threatening that, in Sydney, a violent thunderstorm would be inevitable, but there was no such relief here.

Crepes, ice cream and mojitos in s shady cafe quickly became our "go to" refreshment on a hot afternnon.

A Renault Twizzy is the perfect vehicle for getting around and parking in Paris.

Like in London, daylight seems to be eternal in this nothern summer. It's full daylight before 5am, and not really dark until 11pm. With this much sunshine, it's no wonder that Parisian buildings have such excellent shutters on their windows.

Instant portraits are readily available in the touristy art market of Montmartre.

Our drive back into Paris was uneventful and much more relaxed than our departure a week ago. We had to return our car and get to the hotel. We had one interesting realisation - our route in took us around what is probably the world's most famous and notorious roundabout, the "star" at the Arc de Triomphe. It was surprisingly calm, and then we realised why - vehicles already in the roundabout have to give way to those entering. This is the opposite to roundabouts in Australia, and indeed outside of Paris, but it forces drivers in the roundabout to be much more careful.

Our hotel, the Hilton Paris Opera, rendered in Lego in the lobby.

We stayed at the Hilton Paris Opera on Rue St Lazare. Apparently, the building was once the forecourt of the next door Gare St Lazare. Large railway station concourses provide such wonderful opportunities for rebirthing! This is a splendid hotel, with a fabulously decorated lobby bar. Our room was not too big but really comfortable, and the bathroom was to die for.

Protection from the sun and dust during the Paris heatwave.

The hot weather aside, we had a very relaxing time in Paris. We spent a month here 8 years ago, and felt no need to rush around to all the attractions. Instead, we spent most of our time doing much the same as we would do at home. Each morning, we left the hotel without a firm plan, and wandered off. Soon we would find somewhere for coffee, then later, somewhere for lunch. This is our idea of a holiday. In the afternoon, we would look for a "cleansing ale" at a suitable bar. The locals don't seem to have dinner until 9pm, but we rarely could wait that late despite the example set for us at the recent wedding celebrations.

The KB Cafe in Pigalle serves coffee that a Sydney-sider would recognise, and in a delightful location.

The Square Louvois (1859) is a hidden gem in the back streets near the Bourse.

Ceiling beams in the Telescope Cafe off Rue Sainte Anne.

Paris is a great city to walk around, but this time in the heat, we also made good use of the Metro. This user friendly underground railway system is a model for public transport networks everywhere. A dozen or so separate lines criss-cross each other, with trains running every 3-5 minutes in each direction on every line. We were very impressed with the driverless trains on Line#1 - maybe there are others. Despite their frequency, the trains are almost always crowded - we rarely got a seat.

Paris' traditional street facing restaurants are an irresistable attraction to visitors.

One of the most effective public transport systems anywhere, the Metro is mostly underground, but here the No.6 Line passes overhead through Grenelle.

The beautiful square of the Place des Vosges in le Marais is home to many popular lunch spots.

Intricate chimney construction in le Marais district.

Walking Paris is a neverending delight. Around every corner is some unexpected architectural masterpiece. If not that, then a beautiful park or fountain, or an intriguing courtyard or a lively market. The city is much cleaner than we remember it 8 years ago - or do they just spruce up the streets more conscientiously in summer?

We think this lady was performing in Montmartre when we were here 8 years ago!

Dusk cruises along the Seine are very popular, and rowdy!

Pedestrian bridges and nearby are weighed down by love-locks, despite official disapproval.

The Louvre with its infamous glass pyramid is crowded well into the night.

The washing has to get done, this time in Rue Blanche up the hill from Gare St Lazare.

Beggars and buskers abound in Paris. The tourists are fair game. When asked if you speak English, it's best to say "non" or even "nada"! We were accosted with the "dropped gold ring" scam on two occasions. That said, we were quite nervous about Paris in peak season, but the crowds and the crooks weren't as bad as we feared. The Africans who sell cheap Eiffel towers and other grubby souvenirs at popular spots like Sacre Coeur, Trocadero and the Louvre seem to be on their best behaviour though - maybe they are tolerated as long as they don't harass the vistors.

The incomparable view of Paris' rooftops from the forecourt of Sacre Coeur.

The Copenhagen Showband pose for a selfie with their fans at Sacre Coeur.

We were looking forward to seeing the famed Paris Plages, artifical beaches in scattered locations along the Seine, sand and palm trees included. Sunbaking only though, no swimming! But, despite the heatwave, they apparently don't put the sand there and start up the beaches until a week or so after Bastille Day - they opened the day we left Paris! We did see the preparations in place, though, and a few sun-lovers getting in early.

Looking past the steeple of Trinite d'Estienne d'Orves to Sacre Coeur from Printemps roof terrace.

Le Musee Louvre

Today we ventured to the Louvre. We had been waiting for a rainy day, but so far the weather has been fine and sunny every day, but very cold. The water in the fountains is staying frozen all day now (see photo), as it is in some gutters.

We arrived at 12.30 and were very impressed by the new foyer facilities, including the glass pyramids. The pyramid entry was very controversial when it was built in the later 1980's, but we think that it treads so lightly on the "place" that it does not detract from it at all, and the amenity that it adds is extraordinary compared to what was there previously. Only the French would have the daring to attempt this modernisation, and they have done it with spectacular success.

We walked in direct from the Metro station. Thank you Neryl for the ticket you gave me allowing Clare's free entry, so we only had to pay for Mike's entry. No queues, buy your ticket with credit card at a machine etc. Moreover, 9EUR for all day multi-entry such a huge and fantastic museum is very reasonable.



One real bonus of the 1980's redevelopment was the excavation of the "medieval Louvre", now a fanstastic exhibit under the courtyard of the Palais du Louvre. It was via this exhibit that we actually entered the museum proper.

This museum is so large, and of such grandeur in its buildings, and contains so much fantastic art, that it is literally overwhelming. One just cannot believe how beautiful it is, inside, outside, all over.

We stayed inside until 3.30, when serious fatigue set in. After a walk in the fresh air, and afternoon tea at Angelinas, one of the lovely tea rooms of Paris (claimed to have the best hot chocolates in Paris), we ventured back to the Louvre as it is late opening on some nights, and stayed till 8pm. We think we covered about one third of what we want to see, it is such a luxury knowing we can go back several times, at our leisure, given the length of our stay in Paris.




Last time we were staying in Paris was 1981, and the Louvre was on strike for the entire week we were there, and we (and Ben) had to make an overnight trip on the Orient Express from Munich to spend a day there, so did not see all that we will this time. We covered most of Pavillon Sully and some of Denon, including the Mona Lisa (now housed in a much larger and no doubt more secure space), Egyptology, and galleries of the very large french format paintings, mostly about the revolution. This includes the fascinating Delacroix barricade painting which featured on one of the old Franc notes.

From the Louvre, we choose to walk home along Rue de Rivoli which goes all the way into the Marais, shopping for dinner on the way, in the crisp night air. The ladies of Paris are tres chic, and Clare is looking in the shop windows with interest. The boots and coats of the Parisians are to die for, Clare is very envious, but it is never cold enough at home to wear them, although you certainly need them here in a Paris winter.

At night, the Tour Eiffel twinkles in the dark, and the beautiful lights in the trees lining the Champs Elysees flash like shooting stars. All the buildings are lit to highlight them, and they are gorgeous.