A Leisurely Weekend in Paris
Having walked far too much in Brussels, I came back to Paris completely exhausted. I decided to spend my weekend in a leisurely way, seeing some of the major sights on Saturday morning and spending the rest of the day in Louvre. I ate an almond pain au chocolat for breakfast in front of the glamorous Hôtel des Invalides, which lies only a short walk from the Eiffel Tower. There was much construction work going on that day, either because of the upcoming marathon or in preparation for the Olympic Games, and I found the tower obstructed by tall metal barriers.
Having definitively worn myself out, I lazily rode the metro
from Arc de Triomphe to the Sacré
Coeur Basilica, and from the basilica to the Louvre. I noted, with some
satisfaction and a little wonder, that my travels in the past few months have mirrored the journeys of
Ravic from Remarque’s aptly named novel Arc de Triomphe: Paris, Switzerland,
and Antibes. The novel has in some ways even become a reflection of my personal
life, which makes me rather apprehensive about its ending, as have not yet read
it.
On Sunday,
I only had half a day to spend in Paris. That morning, I visited the botanical
gardens and the zoo, both of which are a modest affair when compared to similar
establishments in much of Europe. Nevertheless, the zoo did have some
interesting specimens like Tasmanian devils and North Chinese leopards. The
gardens are bordered by the archaeological museum, a massive building with
three exhibition floors. The ground floor is occupied by the skeletons of hundreds
upon hundreds of living species, the largest of which – including multiple
whales – stand in the centre, while the smaller specimens are displayed behind
glass. The second floor offers a similar sight, except the prominent skeletons
are actually the fossils of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals like
mammoths and giant sloths.
Finally, I
visited the Pantheon, a massive but somewhat austerely decorated building whose
crypt is the final resting place of many French luminaries, including the likes
of Zola, Hugo, and Dumas. Along its interior walls are famous scenes from
French history, for example a sequence of episodes in the life of Joan of Arc.
Nonetheless, I think I spent more time waiting in the queue than touring the
interior, as the building appears to have a very strict policy on visitor
numbers.
Comments
Post a Comment