Walt Disney Day is celebrated on the First Monday of December. His birthday is December 5th, so that day is also used for celebrations. I have several books on Disney. One I especially like is “The Art of Walt Disney-from Mickey Mouse to the Magic Kingdoms” by Christopher Finch, published in 1988.
This is a great book if one needed just one book about Walt Disney. It details his history-born in Chicago, then raised on farm in Missouri. It also details the history of Disney’s drawing and art, beginning with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Steamboat Willy, with Mickey Mouse.
It is amazing when studying early works like Snow White, or Pinocchio, or Fantasia, the amount of details put into the work. The book’s later chapters are about designing Disneyland and Disney World. The first couple of times I visited Disney World, one had to use tickets at every ride. Some rides were one ticket, and others were three.
Cinderella’s Castle in Disney World was modeled after Neuschwanstein Schloss in Germany.
I was lucky enough to have visited the Castle in real life. It is sometimes called Crazy Ludwig’s (King Ludwig II of Bavaria) Castle. It truly is a Fairy Tale castle.
December 2nd, 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor of France, in Notre-Dame de Paris. I have a book “Symbols of Power: Napoleon and the Art of the Empire Style” by Odile Nouvel-Kammerer, published in 2007.
The book was printed in conjunction with an Exhibition of Napoleon’s art and furniture of his time. The exhibition displayed at St. Louis Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris. My mother and I took the trip to St Louis and witnessed this great exhibit. She told me she was quite amazed at the event. The coronation was painted by Napoleon’s court painter Jacques-Louis David. We saw this in the Louvre in Paris. It is huge – 10 meters by 6 meters.
The corination took place in Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. Some close friends and I were able to visit Notre-Dame. Of the many books I have on Paris, I am very fond of “Paris” by Sandra Forty, published in 2000. It was given and inscribed by several “Travel Buddies” of our group.
There are several great photographs of Notre-Dame, in the book.
I also have several pictures of us in front of the cathedral. Each of us stood on top of the ‘Ground Zero’ brass plaque in front of Notre Dame so by superstition law, we should be able to return.
We have had great trips with this group of friends. One may ask how we get along so well, and it is because of what we take with us. While we pack light, we pack properly.
We will have to take this group back to Paris. They are opening Notre-Dame back up this week, after the horrible fire in 2019. There are mixed views on the re-opening. Some have said that they hate the cleaned-up insides and lighting, claiming it is now sterile and like a ‘shopping mall’. They say it is too bright and clean. Others say that we are seeing it like when it was built in 1163 (and finished in 1345). This is how it was intended to be seen by followers and pilgrims going to visit. So it is true that centuries of grime and soot and dust have been removed, stonework, organ pipes, pews, countless other items have been cleaned and repaired, or replaced. Let’s check it out!
I am ready to return to the City of Light.
“Paris is always a good idea” – Audrey Hepburn
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