Sunday, August 9, 2009

I want to be back in Paris














Our second day in Paris started when Vincent met us at our hotel. We walked to the base of the Eiffel Tower. It was already extremely crowded, so we wandered through the Parc du Champs de Mars, eventually past Les Invalides and the Ecole Militaire. We ended up near Notre-Dame Cathedral. We had a leisurely lunch together and enjoyed the lovely day. Then outside Notre-Dame I took a picture of Great Grandpa's statue. :) We mused for awhile at the sculptures above the main entrance that show Jesus and the devil weighing the worth of souls (the devil attempts to cheat). Inside Vincent translated the story about an interesting, if grim, statue. It was of "death," depicted as a skeleton in a hooded cloak, holding an hour glass. He gestures to a grieving widow that her time to join her husband (in his casket) is almost near. (Cheery).
Eventually, Vincent needed to leave for his train. I said goodbye to Vincent and began looking around the Rodin Museum. J.D. and Vincent had a quick beer together, and then J.D. joined me inside the Museum. The pictures here are "The Kiss," "Cathedral" (the joined hands), two of mother and child, "Eve," "The Gates of Hell" (near which I have abandoned all hope), and "The Thinker," which was originally going to be called "The Poet" because it was Dante pondering his Divine Comedy over "The Gates of Hell." J.D. and I enjoyed wandering around Rodin's beautiful garden after the Museum closed. It had been a busy day full of walking, but we were both very happy as we made our way home for the evening.

1 comment:

Mrs. B. Roth said...

What the what? Rodin has a museum? He is my favorite! There was a traveling tour of his work that came to BYU when I was there. SO controversial. Couldn't SEE the kiss, heaven forbid some return missionary glimpse a nipple and have an impure thought.

Good gravy, send me to Paris today!

(must get a passport.)