While cutting through the jardin de Luxembourg, I suddenly remembered that the statue of liberty has a second residence there. Or at least, I thought I remembered there being a copy of her statue, and was pretty sure it was in the Luxembourg gardens.
So we checked out the directory. There was no mention of it. But I wasn’t going to let some silly, not very precise map be the end-all-be-all of statue of liberty locations.
Luckily just then, a rather cute twenty something Parisian gentlemen happened upon our path. I asked him about the statue.
He was in agreement with the directory.
I was in disagreement with both of them.
My brother was growing impatient, and seemed ready to give up on our quest, when I saw them; an elderly couple going for a leisurely stroll through the park. And I knew that they knew because, as I said to my brother, “old people know things.”
“Excusez-moi? Bonjour” (Excuse me? Hello)
“Bonjour…” (Hello…)
“Desolée de vous derangez, mais je voulais savoir si vous savez pour la statue-“ (Sorry to bother you, but would you happen to know where the statue-)
She didn’t even let me finish my question.
“Ah oui, tout le monde veux la voir. Elle est juste là, à gauche, derière les joeurs de pétanque.” (Oh yes, everybody wants to see her. She’s just over there, on the left, behind the bocce ball players).
Little brother and I with Lady Liberty herself!
Following her flawless directions, my brother and I saw the tiny version of the Statue of Liberty. Not a common tourist destination to be sure, but the important thing to remember is that I was right!
Actually, there's several Statues of Liberty in Paris. One in the Jardin du Luxembourg, two in the Musée des Arts et Métiers (the original one in plaster inside the museum, and another, in bronze, in the courtyard), one near the Pont de Grenelle, and another one near the Pont de l'Alma. The latter is probably the most famous, partly because it has become some sort of a memorial for Princess Diana due to its location. (Yes, WTF?!)
ReplyDeleteAnd for the anecdote, some ancestor of mine owned the metal foundry that was selected by Bartholdi to build the copper sheets for the outer surface of the NY Statue (I think the the internal structure was made by Eiffel).
There's a few pictures of the "real" Statue in Paris before it was sent to NY that I find really awesome:
http://www.visitvoltaire.com/images/statue_of_liberty_in_paris.jpg
http://www.laplanteduval.com/images/statue.jpg
http://68.img.v4.skyrock.net/3480/75333480/pics/2966004913_1_5_IPagqbC5.jpg
http://qqpart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/1878-statue-liberte-atelier.jpg
I'm probably going to NY in September, and just like you I'll find my way to see the statue. But I bet "the big one" will be much easier to catch! :-)
Great Blog Laura - ans the important party is you were right and wrote it with great wit.
ReplyDeleteShe was definitely worth the effort to find!
ReplyDelete