Monkeyshines

Every day with Prince Tyger is always an adventure.  And he is always, always(!) - except when he is sleeping - busily playing hard and testing new limits.  He loves to set up his plastic-covered foam shapes in the form of a hill and then to climb the hill

so that he can slide down or jump down or do whatever takes his fancy.  But a whole new dimension is added when he has playmates - and the Tyger isn't too particular about who his playmates might be.  On this day, his two toy monkeys stood in for live playmates.  Green and White Monkey is soft, scrunchy, cuddly and floppy.  Fully-Dressed Monkey actually scares his Daddy!  Neither seems to have a proper name yet.  Fully-Dressed Monkey is supposed to help the Tyger learn about buttons, zippers and snap closures, among other things.  But today, even Fully-Dressed Monkey took a break from teaching to join in the fun.

Prince Tyger discovered that his monkeys can slide down the hill almost as well as he can.  So he spent some time in helping them to do it, even adding in "Whee! sound effects.

The Tyger had to make sure that "Gama" was paying attention to all these monkeyshines.

And then he charged over to see how he looked in Gama's camera.  Prince Tyger loves to see pictures of himself.

Prince Tyger will probably never know what it was like in the Old Days - before digital cameras.

Prince Tyger's Return

Last week, I spent a couple days in Washington, DC with Prince Tyger and his parents.  His Daddy, Big T, copied over several photos and videos from the family's recent working vacation in the US West, but it turns out that Electronically-Challenged Grandmom has somehow managed to corrupt the file.  So, none of those will be posted until the photos can be recopied.

While E-C Grandmom had difficulty taking photos of Prince Tyger at one of the local pools - the lifeguard nearly fell out of his chair whistling his disapproval of such shenanigans - she did manage to get a couple shots of the Tyger in action elsewhere.  Together with the Tyger and his Sweet Momma H, she visited the Tyger's favorite playground.  The Tyger has his own routine there.  First, he likes to head for the sandy area and play with the toys.  Then he likes to climb up - and down - the slide areas.

But his favorite part is still the water play area where he loves to get soaked

and dip into the water.

He doesn't have much time left this summer to enjoy his favorite place.  With the advent of fall and somewhat cooler weather, the water area will soon be closed.

Paris Promenades 4

No visit to Paris can be satisfactory without making at least one visit to the Louvre.   The Louvre, originally a palace, is one of the central landmarks in Paris, one of the largest museums in the world, and arguably the most visited museum in the world.  So, yes, it is indeed worth a visit.  One is an absolute minimum.  Son B and the Double Cs didn't miss a visit.  I hope that the visit whetted their appetites for more.

The original palace began as an 11th century fortress.  It was built on and extended in several phases to form the present building.  French kings used it as their official palace until the 17th century.  Then King Louis XIV built a new palace in the village of Versailles outside Paris and moved his entire household and the court to le Palais de Versailles.  After the court moved to Versailles, the Louvre was used principally to house the royal art collections.  During the French Revolution, the government decreed the Louvre to be a museum for the public.  The museum first opened in 1793, with an art collection primarily comprised of works confiscated from royal and church collections.   Napoléon Bonaparte increased the Louvre's collection extensively with paintings, ornaments and sculptures seized during his army conquests, although several of those works were returned to their original owners after Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.  The collection continued to increase significantly during the 19th century as later authorities added to it.  The Louvre currently houses some 35,000 pieces of art drawn from eight departments, with over 60,000 square meters of exhibition space dedicated to the permanent collections.  The collections include Near Eastern Antiquities, Egyptian Antiquities, Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities, Islamic Art, Sculptures, Decorative Arts, Paintings, and Prints and Drawings.   This scale model can give one an idea of the immensity of the building and its grounds.

Not all of the art associated with the Louvre is found inside the museum.  For example, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, which stands outside, was built to commemorate Napoleon's military successes.  It stands near the site where the former Palais des Tuileries, which formed the western wall of the Louvre, used to stand.  The Tuileries palace was destroyed during the 19th century.  After a decision not to rebuild the palace, the area was left open to become an open park.  Here, the Double Cs pose in front of the Arc du Carrousel.

Another more controversial recent structure is the large glass and metal pyramid, surrounded by three smaller pyramids, designed by the Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei, and erected in 1989.   The large pyramid serves as the principal entrance for the Louvre. 

And no, the Double Cs were not actually standing in the fountain.  Being soggy would not have helped them make the acquaintance of some of the Louvre's most famous women, such as the Venus de Milo,

and the Mona Lisa. 

Before seeing it, many do not realize how small this wonderful painting actually is.  For protection, it is kept behind glass.

The paintings are popular with many.  So during hot and crowded times,

it's a good idea to seek out places where one has a little space, such as here among the Egyptian Antiquities.

Another area that may be less-frequented, but still fascinating, is the Decorative Arts collection, where the Double Cs leave a reflection that will remain with the millions of others this mirror has seen through the centuries.

Visiting museums, especially one like the Louvre, and sightseeing can get to be pretty heavy.  So, it's always a good idea to take an occasional lighthearted shopping break.

Prince C ultimately did not purchase the beret.  But he still had a good time trying it on!

Paris Promenades 3

As one of their objectives while in Paris, Son B and the Double Cs wanted to climb the Tour Eiffel.  The 1,063-foot (324 meters) tower, also known as La dame de fer, is not only the original "Iron Lady," but is perhaps one of the most iconic symbols of the City of Light.  This is truly ironic because after it was built in the late 19th century, in accordance with a design by structural engineer Gustave Eiffel, after whom it was named, it was widely criticized.  Several influential persons in the arts called it an eyesore and petitioned for it to be torn down.  One of those critics, French writer Guy de Maupassant, is said to have eaten his midday meal in one of the tower restaurants nearly every day.  When asked why, de Maupassant supposedly responded that it was the one place in Paris where one could not see the tower.  The tower was originally scheduled to be dismantled in 1909, but was fortunately spared this fate because its height made it valuable for communication purposes.  Today, the Tour Eiffel is generally considered to be a striking piece of structural art.

So the tower is still with us and the adventurers were ready to scale it - or at least the first and second levels.  To get to the top, they had to take an elevator (lift).  So, up they got, early in the morning and made their way to the tower.  It was good to be early because the wait can otherwise be a long one.  Up they started.

They took a look around from the first level.

It's a good thing that they got there early.  There was already a line below.

From the second level, they had a good view of the Trocadéro and the Palais de Chaillot across the river.

From the third level, everything looked a LOT smaller.  But they were justifiably proud of themselves for making it to the top.

To forever memorialize the moment for the folks at home, they stocked up on plenty of souvenirs.

Paris Promenades 2

After the Segway tour of Paris described in yesterday's post, Son B and the Double Cs decided to check out other means of getting about and sightseeing.  First, they decided to explore via the Paris Métro and followed the crowds underground

in order to wait for a train to their destination.

While the underground route may have been the most efficient, it was not always the most scenic.  So, as another option, they chose one of the double-decker sightseeing bus lines that continuously tour the highlights of the city, such as the one pictured to the right in this photo of the Champs-Élysées heading towards the Arc de Triomphe de 'Etoile. 

They purchased two-day passes that allowed them to get off and on the buses at the destination(s) of their choice.  At the same time, they received headphones in order to listen to the description of the sights in English as Princess C demonstrates here, while listening to a description of the history and uses of today's Paris Opéra House.

Of course, they had to stop at the Arc de Triomphe for a photo-op.

The former Place de l'Etoile was renamed the Place Charles de Gaulle following the death of the WWII General and President Charles de Gaulle, whose statue can also be seen in this photo.

The little trio also visited Notre Dame de Paris, one of the best-known and finest examples of French-Gothic architecture in Western Europe.  The Double Cs took time to pose in front of some of the cathedral's impressively carved portals.

Nearly everywhere they travelled in the city they saw used automobiles being given new life, holding earth and water for trees, such as here.

Is this perhaps one harbinger of a green and useful future for the automobile in general?  Only time will tell. 

Paris Promenades 1

As described in several of my posts in late June and early July, two of our grandchildren, Prince C and Princess C, accompanied by their father, Son B, visited me in Switzerland.  I probably had the most fun of all escorting them and Friend G around some of my favorite "haunts" and getting to sightsee with them myself.  One reason that the Double Cs were well prepared for their visit is because their grandfather, HWMBO, had put together a PowerPoint presentation showing some of the sights and places that they would experience.  That PP presentation, together with HWMBO's detailed explanations, lasted for about an hour and a half.

Last weekend, the Double Cs got their sweet "revenge," largely through the efforts of Son B who put together a presentation - almost as lengthy - describing their visit to Switzerland.  The presentation also included Paris, where they went after they had said goodbye to me at the Geneva central train station.  For the occasion, we had assembled at the house of Son J who, together with Sweet Momma D, hosted a splendid barbecue dinner to honor those in the family who had celebrated birthdays during the months of July and August.  The honorees were Son B, HWMBO and Prince J, son of Son J and Sweet Momma D.  Unfortunately, Son J and Prince J both were scheduled to leave the house at 5:30 am the next day to attend Prince J's JV football tryouts.  They were barely able to keep their eyes open to appreciate the full effects of the presentation at the time.  But those of us who did keep our eyes open really enjoyed it.

I knew how excited the Double Cs had been at the thought of taking one of the Segway Tours in Paris.  Here they are, having mastered the essentials of Segway riding, all ready to mount up and begin sightseeing.

They had been told to assemble at one of the corners of the Tour Eiffel, so that monument features prominently in this photo.  Son B, good sport that he is, is right in there with the young(er) ones!

One of their first stops was at the Invalides, here in front of the church

and here listening to the tour guide while he explains the history and composition of this complex of military museums and monuments.  The tomb of Napoléon Bonaparte (Emperor Napoleon I) can also be found at the Invalides.

This photo provides a better idea of the expanse.

One can even cross the Seine on these sturdy little machines.

But it's also fun to stop and pose with a bateau mouche in the background.

Here they are in the Louvre complex, getting ready to turn around and complete their Segway tour.

They all enjoyed the tour immensely, but they all admitted to feeling tired at the end.  They found that standing on a Segway can be - almost - as tiring as walking the whole distance.  So, after this experience, they were ready to see Paris via other means of locomotion.  Still, when asked whether they would recommend the experience to others, the answer was a resounding

"Of course!"

Robots at the "Battle O' Baltimore"

A couple weekends ago, HWMBO and I happily were able to be present at the Battle O' Baltimore.  This recently constituted event has absolutely nothing to do with the better-known Battle of Baltimore that took place during the War of 1812, when US forces successfully defended the city of Baltimore from an invasion by the British fleet who had sailed to the port of Baltimore via the Chesapeake Bay.  The defense of Baltimore at nearby Fort McHenry inspired Francis Scott Key to compose the lines to what we now know as "The Star-Spangled Banner," aka the US national anthem.

The Battle O' Baltimore that we attended was not nearly as violent as the 1812 original, thank heavens!  It was also great fun to watch.  As described in the url link provided above, this was the fourth annual "battle" of "robots" that are specifically designed by secondary school robotics clubs to play soccer (aka "football" to the world outside the United States) or, more properly, a variation of that game.  After returning from his visit to Switzerland and France, Grandson Prince C joined his school's robotics club where he has learned quite a lot.  At first, he was part of the design team.  By the time of the "Battle," he was one of those operating his team's robot.  The teams that participated in this year's event came from Pennsylvania and Virginia as well as Maryland and are listed here.  Here are those who were judging the event.

The "Battle" took place in the gymnasium of the Boys' Latin School of Maryland, which is in a beautiful part of Baltimore.  In the gym, each team had a cheering section.

Some cheering sections formed conga lines that serpentined around the gym between matches.

As it turned out, we arrived a bit later than we should have although the news that greeted us was good.  Prince C's robot had competed so well in its previous matches that it would participate in the semi-final bouts.  Fortunately, we were in time for those.  Robot 2199 is the one that we cheered for.

Prince C's blue t-shirted team huddles, planning their strategy.

Then they check their robot over carefully to ensure that everything is working the way that it should.

And here is mightly little Robot 2199 in action!

While Prince C's team won its first semi-final bout, it lost the next two, so it was the other team that went on to the final match.  We were very proud of him and his team's accomplishments.  And Prince C still had a big smile for his Grands!

It will be a "Battle" to look forward to next summer!

Seeing the Tyger at play

While we were still in Washington following our afternoon of tennis, I made good use of my cell to see whether Prince Tyger and his parents were up to having visitors.  We knew that their plans included leaving for the West themselves over the weekend.  But we hoped to catch a glimpse of the Tyger before his new travel experiences.  As it turned out, Prince Tyger and Sweet Momma H were not at home, having decided to check out a new playground area in their neighborhood.  So, after getting directions from Big T, we stopped by the playground instead, to see that Prince Tyger was having a ball while Sweet Momma H was taking a too-brief opportunity to relax on a bench nearby.

The new park had lots of equipment, swings, sand and play areas.  To the Tyger's great joy, there were lots of children's toys left there permanently for everyone to share - even though "sharing" is not yet a large part of the Tyger's consciousness.

While there were also lots of other small children paying there, the Tyger was most interested in the water play area,  By the time that we got there, he was thoroughly drenched and as happy as he could be.

He showed his "Grands" how to "turn on" this machine - which he had decided was a lawn mower.

Then he "mowed" the play area.

He got into a little blue car that is just like his own little red one at home ...

and showed his "Grands" that he could "drive" this one too.

When we last saw Prince Tyger, he was heading off into the sand play area, regardless of how wet he was.  What he planned to do with the toy shopping cart was not at all clear to us, but he was pushing it with a clear purpose in mind.

Prince Tyger didn't look as if he had any desire to leave his newfound playground.  Ever.