DELIRIOUS

Napoléon III en délire

This long ornate corridor, le grand foyer, at the Paris Opéra Garnier is a ticklishly awesome and garish sight. Ostentation en relief--and a lot of it at that--in an eclectic mix of neo-classic Greek and Roman with French and Italian Renaissance architecture and decor, is hallmark of the Napoleon III style. The Opéra Garnier, constructed from 1861-1875, is the epitome of this 19th century royal period style. 

Vocabulary

stupéfiant:  awesome

voyant(-e):  garish

en délire:  delirious
un couloir:  a corridor
un foyer:  here, a meeting place for theatre goers during intermission

©2013 P.B. Lecron