Paris!

Last month we spent three days in Paris.

After a bus tour of the city and a picnic in the gardens of the medieval Cluny museum, we spent Friday afternoon in and outside the Louvre.The pope was visiting Paris the weekend we were there so the Louvre was nearly empty! The only crowd in the entire place was in front of the Mona Lisa. We thought we might get a glimpse of the pope (Anna really wanted to see the pope riding in his "papamobile" as the French call it) but the crowds along the roadside were several people deep for several hours in advance.

In one of the Dutch halls, we played "Charades with the Masters." This was my favorite Rembrandt in the hall but I prudently decided against acting this one out.For Lucas, Paris = the Eiffel Tower. He was so excited to see it that we decided to go the first evening. We somehow managed to get there a few minutes before sunset. We were so happy to be able to watch the lights of the city turn on one by one.Here's Jane seen from the tower with the Tower of Montparnasse and the Champs de Mars in the background. We decided that hers was probably the only Amish hat on the Eiffel tower that night.Saturday morning, we went to visit Monet's gardens and home at Giverny. It was so beautiful. After just one day in Paris, the kids were kind of relieved to leave the city and be someplace natural. This is definitely a recurring theme for them. The whole place felt kind of dreamy with its lazy stream and sleepy willows. Here we are along one of the garden paths.
Saturday evening we went to the basilica of Sacré-Cœur at the top of Montmarte, an international gathering place for bohemians young and old. We listened to music on the steps outside. It was really fun. Then we went inside and enjoyed a beautiful mass performed by the nuns of Sacré-Cœur. I loved the contrast and I loved seeing people of all kinds joyfully expressing themselves. This is Sacré-Cœur from a distance:That night we ate at an amazing Moroccan restaurant. We were there during Ramadan so we were treated to a special dinner. It was a small restaurant with four or five tables run by two delightful women. We were treated to a tray of dates to start our meal. This is typically how Muslims break their fast during Ramadan. We enjoyed soup and couscous and chicken tagine.Sunday we visited the Orangerie museum which houses Claude Monet's famous water lily paintings and works by many other impressionists. I discovered a new artist that I really liked named André Derain. Here is his The Turning Road:After three very full days, it was time to go home. Steve and I weren't ready but the Jane, Anna and Lucas were very happy to go back to Tours. On the way home, we visited the gothic cathedral of Chartres. Steve and the kids climbed the tower while I took an audio tour down below. It really is a magnificent place. We've been studying religious architecture in my art/architecture class which made it even more interesting. I especially loved the sculptures on the columns outside of the cathedral:Whew! I need a nap!