Most medieval churches no longer have their original stained glass (with some obvious exceptions). It's either too fragile or has been destroyed. The Cluny gives you a close up look at this rare glass in dark rooms with backlighting. Imagine you are an illiterate and pious peasant, and these are the illustrations to the bible stories you've been told.
The museum is situated on Roman ruins, and actually contains a bath with a huge frigidarium with the largest Roman vaulted ceiling in France.
One of the highlights of this museum is of course, The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries.
Near the end of the middle ages, when the world was interesting again, those tapestries were made by an unknown artist to venerate the senses, Taste, Hearing, Sight, Smell, and Touch. The sixth tapestry shows the lady putting the necklace she's wearing in all the other images into a chest, while the tent behind her reads, "To My Soul Desire." The image and its meaning are variously interpreted.
Left to right, Sight, Smell, Touch
Hearing, Sight, Smell
Taste
À Mon Seul Désir
A unicorn horn! I think it's understandable that unicorns were thought to exist because of these Narwhal teeth. They do look pretty convincingly like a unicorn horn, and it's not like these people could just go scuba diving to see a real Narwhal.
The museum had these cool tapestry model for the blind. They could feel the scene and read descriptions below.
Next up was a walking tour of Historical Paris, focusing on the Ile de la Cité. My first stop was Notre Dame (Our Lady) de Paris. Legend has it that 26 years ago, the infant Alison, who had recently learned to sit up on her own, nearly fell out of her stroller between the two towers, and was saved from becoming a crêpe on the pavement below by her 6-year-old brother (not Quasimodo.)
Safely on the ground this time
In the front of Notre Dame is Point Zero, the center of France, from which all distances are measured. It was, of course, swarmed by Asian tourists.
On the right door, the famous statue of St. Denis, the bishop of Paris who was beheaded as a warning to those considering converting in the times of Roman Paris. But that didn't stop him, oh no. St. Denis just picked up his head, washed it off in a fountain and chose a different location to finally expire. Instead of stopping the conversions, St. Denis helped to keep them going.
The central doorway has a depiction of Judgement Day. Christ watches on as souls are weighed. See the demon trying to tip the scales?
The saved have looks of intense relief.
The damned are like, "oh damn."
Christ sitting on the throne of judgement. I'm sorry, but with that almost-smile and slightly tilted hands, it looks to me like he's "raising the roof."
Inside the cathedral. Sooooo Gothic
The rose window behind the organ, at the entrance.
I think this is the only rose window with it's original stained glass.
A statue of Joan of Arc.
A painting of Thomas Aquinas
Kinda creepy, right?
The 300 foot spire is a new addition, a product of the 1860 reconstruction of the church, which had become quite dilapidated. Victor Hugo's book, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, apparently inspired a young architecture student, Eugéne-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc to dedicate his career to it's revival.
He put himself up there, with some apostles. While they bless the city, Viollet-le-Duc gazes up at his creation.
At the edge of the island, the police were doing something. Afterwards I went to the deportation memorial at the edge of the island, where you can't speak, wear headphones or take pictures. It memorializes the 200,000 French victims of the Nazi concentration camps. You become a prisoner as you enter, where you see the names of all the concentration camps, 200,000 lighted crystals, the eternal flame of hope and the tomb of the unknown deportee.
The view from the edge of the island
Notre Dame from behind.
On most bridges where there is fencing, people hang locks. This one was particularly covered. Enjoy a few!
This is the oldest living thing in Paris, an acacia tree planted in 1602 by Robinier. It's thriving, but has been propped up by concrete supports.
The very famous english bookstore, where expats could get a bit of home.
St. Séverin, late Gothic, or "flamboyant" or flame-like, because the prickly spires flicker.
Right by is Rue St. Séverin into the Latin Quarter, a busy street with lots of shops, restaurants and people.
Rotisserie!
A whole oinker!
The narrowest house in Paris!
#22 is so wee, a little smaller than the Edna St. Vincent Millay House in New York.
Boule Miche, or the Boulevard St. Michel. There was a group of people doing something for money, so I didn't take a picture of the whole square. I do remember being here years ago, buying a leather coat at a nearby shop.
Right by the place Dauphine is this statue of Henry IV, the grandfather of Louis XIV.
The Verte-Galant, at the tip of the Ile de la Cité, named after Henry whose statue looks over it.
Since I was right by it, I took a boat tour!
This is the Pont Neuf, the "New Bridge" that is actually now the oldest remaining bridge in Paris. I got this cool picture while waiting on the boat, of the moon lined up perfectly as just another street light on the Pont Neuf.
The Musee d'Orsay, in the old Orsay train station.
This was the model for the White House. It houses Napoleon's Legion of Honor.
The Eiffel Tower all sparkly
Sans sparkle with with a little light from la Luna.
This is part of the Deportation Memorial. From inside, you get just a glimpse of the water from behind bars.
Next I went to the Pompidou Center! This building is so dedicated to the art it houses that all of the workings, pipes, escalators, etc, are on the outside.
This model cost 547€. Juliette's old office had a similar full sized couch that I called the Spree couch, and which I really wanted.
Below are just some pictures of a bit of the art
A Mondrian.
Marcel Duchamp's famous fountain. Behold, fair readers....the moment that anything could become art.
A Kandinsky.
One of my favorites, and Yves Klein. He developed this "Yves Klein Blue" that was used over and over in his work.
This was cool-three different sized neon cubes that are the same size in their mirrors.
A crazy geographical, Nightmare Before Christmas-esque room.
An El Anatsui. I studied a bit of his work in my African art class. He makes cloth from the discarded Metal labels and parts of liquor bottles.
The view from the top of the Pompidou Center
You can really see the escalator here.
After the Pompidou, I went to meet Julien and Shola for dinner. Julien is the youngest child and only son of our French friends, Pierre and Franicoise Petite. Our families met way back in the day, when their daughter, Florence came through a program to stay with us. Our mothers began writing, and soon enough we began traveling to France to visit. They took us all over the place, and I am so thankful for the things and experiences they gave to me. In return, they came to America and we had a fun road trip across the Southwest (and a side trip to D.C.) It's been yeeeears since I've seen Julien, who is about 6 months older than me. His friend Shola recently moved to Paris from New York, and is a singer. it was cool to get to know Julien as a grown up, since I only remember him as a kid. And I'm sure he only remembers me as a girl with a boy's haircut! I wanted to try this Bretagne restaurant called Breizh Cafe, because in Brittany they make crêpes de blé noir, which is buckwheat and is gluten free (even though it has wheat in the name, it's actually a relative of rhubarb). After a long wait (popular!) and un cafe and a chat, we got in.
A dry cider, recommended for the crèpes.
My crêpe complète oignon, which means ham, cheese, a sunny side egg and onions.
It was soooo good!
After dinner, Shola had to leave so Julien took me to a bar where he thought I'd enjoy the decor and the American drinks. The upstairs was designed to look kind of like a dilapidated Provencal house, and the downstairs looked like am old subway station. It was cool!
Julien then showed me his amazing apartment, with this spectacular view. The picture doesn't do it justice, and you can see a lot of major monuments from his terrace.
Julien then took me to his locale bar, where his bartender friend tried to discourage me from trying absinthe, but of course I prevailed. All the rumors about it being hallucinogenic are hubbub of course, but it is incredibly strong. A new life experience to make note of!
I had a great time hanging out with Shola, and it was so nice to catch up with Julien and have what he called "A real Parisian night."
WOW - i feel like i got the grand tour of Paris - great post - thanks!
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