"Baron's Ten Best...continued"

..... I received a complaint from JR that Letterman's top ten always begins with #10 so as to create "suspense" as to what #1 might turn out to be. And he is correct. I didn't really explain my list properly; I didn't mean to put the list of my top ten experiences in any particular order, even though it appeared that I was starting with my #1. No, I am saving my most awesome and exciting and passionate experience for last; and all those that come before it are not in "size places". But you can put them there for yourself if you have known them.

…..5)the Night Watch--(See above) Night Watch or The Night Watch or The Shooting Company of Franz Banning Cocq (Dutch: De Nachtwacht) is the common name of one of the most famous works by Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn. It is on prominent display in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, being the most famous painting in their collection. The painting is renowned for three elements: its colossal size (363 x 437 cm ~ 11ft 10in x 14ft 4in), the effective use of light and shadow, and the perception of motion in what would have been, traditionally, a static military portrait.This painting was completed in 1642, at the peak of the Dutch Golden Age. It depicts the military company moving out, led by Captain Frans Banning Cocq and his lieutenant, Willem van Ruytenburch. One has to visit the Museum in Amsterdam to see the Rembrandts that are on display to really appreciate the incredible genius of this painter and his art. I’d say if you wanted to hire him to paint your house, you would be in serious financial trouble. No one could possibly afford to buy this masterpiece, with the exception, perhaps of Le Bron James.

…..6)the Eiffel Tower--The Eiffel Tower (French: La Tour Eiffel, [tuʁ ɛfɛl], nickname La dame de fer, the iron lady) is an 1889 iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris that has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The tallest building in Paris, it is the most-visited paid monument in the world; millions of people ascend it every year. Named for its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the tower was built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair.

.....The tower has three levels for visitors. Tickets can be purchased to ascend, by stairs or lift, to the first and second levels. The walk to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the walk from the first to the second level. The third and highest level is accessible only by elevator. Both the first and second levels feature restaurants. (Descriptions courtesy Wikipedia) I recall vividly how I first saw the tower while flying over Paris in 1944; and how I first saw it first hand after we landed in Paris in 1945. It was a most awesome and memorable experience--as was the Baron's experiences with the best ladies of the night that Paris had to offer. Oui.