Paris continued!

After our trip to The Somme we still had a few days in Paris to enjoy and walk and walk and walk....  We also had a couple of hot days (mid 30s) so where better to spend some hours than at a shopping centre and museums!!!  

We headed out of Paris old centre to the Paris new centre and found their version of Chaddy. Unfortunately their idea of a food court and Andrew's are a bit different but we found a good place for lunch anyway - and afternoon tea!  We noticed that all of their shops were either clothes, shoes, accessories or all three. No book stores, gift shops, electricals etc. Maybe there is another Chaddy for them. 

We fought the crowds and finally got into the Louvre, with the crowds.  Mona, Veronese's Wedding at Cana, Winged Victory, Delacroix's Victory leading the people, The Coronation...  As we are writing this we are sitting beside the Thames in the middle of nowhere at The Trout at Tadpole Bridge (pub and hotel - that means two different things here - you can drink and sleep). Andrew thinks it's a bit like the Louvre???

Ina - the artist from Munich - had given us tickets to Musee Rodin that she hadn't used on her recent trip to Paris. In the museum you can see Auguste Rodin's sculptures in a beautiful French garden. On previous trips to Paris I had only seen The Thinker over the fence from the HOHO bus. How exciting to get inside the fence and see it from all angles. There was however a bogan there at the same time who must have been more excited than us. He sat himself on the bottom of the pedestal, at The Thinker's feet, and rolled his sleeve up to show off his very own Thinker tattoo!!  His wife and kids were very excited and snapped away!  Wonder what Rodin would ponder?

The Gates of Hell was a work that was commissioned and Rodin spent years of his life creating the many, many figures upon it - including Le Penseur.  It was fascinating to see the many works he created as individuals over and over and then the final work - which I don't think was ever installed as intended. 

And for another bit of culture in Paris - Melbourne's own Pierce Brothers, live and free at Supersonic Club!!