Travelogue XVII: Tomb of Napoleon under the Dome at Les Invalides

 

I paused for a final moment before proceeding to the
rail to view the Tomb of Napoleon for the first time

the orientation of the Tomb to the entrance
to the Dome

dome art

other art in the chapel at the Dome

we missed the possibility of seeing this
by two nights

other heroes of France are honored here

including high ranking non-commissioned officers

the lower gallery had many sculptures and
other plaques to commemorate the
works of Napoleon I

the statues around the tomb "guardians"

included many Greek myth references

one final look back at the Tomb

exterior on the other side of the Dome
included other figures from French history

tower

Arch

out for a walk

back to London under the English channel

Travelogue XVI: French Army Museum V Vauban

The entire top floor of the French Army Museum was
dedicated to topographical 3D maps of Vauban fortifications.

the models were gorgeous

filled with many details

 One particular fort, outside Marseilles caught my attention as a prospective siege and landing game location.

Chateau d'If

I could imagine a large landing force game
played out on a games table

perhaps a challenge to our
in house terrain master?

My bride rested as I walked around the many exhibition tables,
most of them 12'x20' or more in size.

Eventually I was ready to move on to the next part of Les Invalides
The Dome

Travelogue XVI: French Army Museum IV Crimea and beyond

 

a real French Zouave 'habite'

then came a WWII section, where the cross of Lorraine featured

this part of the exhibit had actual leaflets
that were air dropped over France
during the war to help keep up morale
and inform resistance cells

from America, there were French ex-pats
that took up arms and returned as volunteers
as part of the landing forces

medals to recognize the
French Forces of the Interior
FFI

Minerva (or Athena)
was a source of inspiration
and quiet identification of FFI
supporters in the French homes

Then came the top floor, dedicated to Vauban.