saturday in paris

+jmj+

My day on Saturday was just lovely. I spent it in Paris. And Paris never disappoints, truly. This beautiful city of love will be breath-taking no matter what condition the weather is in.

I spent the morning at a meeting with a professor from America about a Masters program that I am interested in. That was the main reason for my little excursion into the big city, but it only lasted for a few hours. Following that, I met up with a friend for lunch. Our mission was Chipotle. One of these meccas of burritos is opening in Paris, and was supposed to open its doors on January 16th, after several earlier delays. So we found the restaurant, all while dreaming and discussing the wonders of guacamole, only to find locked doors and un-revealed windows.

Though we were disappointed at not being able to devour a French-ified Chipotle burrito, we were quickly appeased with the Parisian equivalent of the burrito: a falafel sandwich. It was almost just as satisfying :)

After lunch, we explored the Centre Pompidou a bit, which is the modern art museum in Paris. It's a very cool building, with most of the infrastructure exposed on the exterior. 

Maintaining an artist theme for the afternoon, I decided a visit to the Musée de Rodin was finally in store. This is one of the museums in Paris that I have been itching to go to, but just had never yet found the right time. Saturday was the ticket. It was beautiful outside, and I had a couple of hours free before meeting up with more friends. So I made my way across the city to the Musée, taking a little break to discover a Basilica I didn't know existed!

Basilica of St. Clothilde

Following this exciting new discovery (definitely a new spot to pray in Paris!), I walked down the street to the Musée de Rodin. This museum, dedicated to the works of Auguste Rodin, was actually his former home that has been re-purposed. And it's a beautiful museum. The interior was closed for construction, but most of Rodin's most famous sculptures are in the garden anyway. I got in for free (perk of being a teacher!) and spent quite some time just walking around, admiring these famous works.

Rodin was born in Paris in 1840, and he lived there most of his life. He is known for having a rather tumultuous personal life, but his artwork is breathtaking. 

the gates of hell

the thinker

If it was a warmer day, I could have sat down on a bench in the garden and just admired it all. But the chill in the air kept me moving, and so after an afternoon of artwork, I met up with some friends for a drink before taking the last train back to Evreux. Paris is always just what I need.

pax christi.