J'ai rencontré Sarah a la station de metro Rennes. I get out and lo and behold a market is happening! A typical French market with fish, meats, cheese, produce, clothes, jewelry.. all making me wish I had a camera to go around with taking pictures sens stress. There were a couple of colorful large hats that I'm contemplating treating myself to. The smell of chicken and roast potatoes, vendors yelling out their little sales pitch. There is something so nice about walking in a market. I'm going to have a great time in Bologna!
Luxembourg was great as usual. We sat in the shade and talked about DSK and the differences between the US and France concerning matters of rape. I know not a very jovial topic for lunch, but interesting all the same since it really shows how each country has progressed. While the French have equal pay as a law, it's still ok to harass women at work. When obviously in the States, harassment is taken a lot more seriously (Thank God! I mean can you imagine? The way people discuss the DSK affair here-they literally blame it all on the woman!). It's always fascinating to do comparisons of France and the States, or any other country for that matter, because la mentalité is so different. People walk down the street with a different point of view.
To the side of the Panthéon there is a Jesuit Church (at least I think it is) called St. Etienne du Mont, where the remains of Blaise Pascal et Jean Racine can be found. It's been rebuilt a couple of times so it has a conglomeration of styles. The inside has this amazing jubé, a sort of rood-screen, that one could theoretically walk around the perimeter of the church. Further back in la gallerie du cloitre, one can find detailed and gorgeous stained class windows. "Ce sont des peintures sure verre avec des émaux recuits au four, à la différence des autres vitreax de l'église où le verre est coloré dans la masses." It's definitely a church to go visit. I walked into a lot of churches today. It probably has to do with the fact that they are free, beautiful pieces of architecture and I've looked a Baroque churches all this past semester in my art history class.
My friend and I had to part ways, shortly thereafter and I went off to Notre Dame de Paris always gives me the shivers. What I do not like is that it's always so crowded!Then I walked around L'Ile St. Louis where I got myself an ice cream cone (which I ate sur la seine) and a blister. Le sorbet à la framboise était délicieux, l'ampoule très chiant. After all that I was tired and went back home to St. Cloud. Maison et jardin is always so nice. Paris is lovely, but it is a city and cities drain so much of my energy. I always feel plein de poussière et fatiguée.
