Monday, June 28, 2004
Denis, Garnier, Pompidou and Harmon
In the morning, Tim and I went to the Cathedral of Saint Denis, located north of the city. This cathedral is where ten centuries of French kings are laid to rest. Interestingly, their remains are now jumbled together in one tomb, because they were exhumed from their original tombs during the French Revolution and re-interred haphazardly outside church grounds.
Catheral of St. Denis: heads will roll
Tim had to leave for a while to help Abi move out of her apartment, so I continued sightseeing alone. My next stop was the Paris Opera House. It is extraordinary. Its interior is opulent — the architect, Charles Garnier, spared no expense to ornament it. The grand foyer, which overlooks the main entrance and grand staircase, had just been renovated, and it looked absolutely spectacular.
Paris Opera House
Grand staircase
Grand foyer
Area before grand foyer
My only disappointment was that I could not enter the auditorium, for a rehearsal was in progress. I could, however, peek in through a window and catch a glimpse of it.
I left the opera house and took the Metro to the Pompidou Center, a cultural hall featuring an art museum and reference library. The building itself is the attraction, though. Its modern design contrasts interestingly with the surrounding 19th-century architecture. I really liked its color scheme and exposed infrastructure (pipes, ducts, etc.).
Pompidou Center
Stairway to heaven
Enjoying a game of soccer
Give us a kiss
Cinema near the center
Café moderne
I met up with Tim again and we then toured the Left Bank. We walked past the Sorbonne and the Panthéon and ended up at the Luxembourg Gardens. The park was quite busy, especially — I thought — for a Monday afternoon. There was even a live performance by a jazz band.
That night Tim, Abi, her friend Julien and I went to the 10th arondissement, the district that contains the St. Martin Canal (featured in the movie Amèlie). We went to a couple of bars, including a tiny one that holds jazz concerts. We caught the tail end of a set by a talented pianist named Yaron Harmon. After it was over, the bar, packed to the rafters, gave him a lengthy ovation.
