The Opera House

Then the next day we went into the Opera House, Palais Garnier, this was designed by the Architect Charles Garnier, it is said that when he discovered an underground expanse of water beneath the site he became deeply concerned, it took 15 years to build it with all the setbacks. The rather deep lake, the stage for excursions during the Commune, was the inspiration for writer Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera! When you enter into the room with the Grand Staircase you immediately feel like your going to see and hear the music from the Phantom of the Opera, how they managed all these years ago to build a building of marble to this magnitude is quite unbelievable. The balconies where all the rich people sat, the fact that Napoleon was once here, its all too much.

You know when you live in Canada you know about all these famous places and paintings etc but it is quite different when you are actually seeing and touching and in the presence of them yourself.

The main auditorium, with its ceiling painted by Chagall, its eight –ton crystal chandelier and purple velvet seats set around an Italian style stage where operas and ballets are performed, it would be great fun to go to see an Opera there.