I had to abandon trying to keep the blog updated every day after it was impinging too much on my time in Paris. And, Carol was accusing me of having a mistress! I hope to have the postings updated within the next two days - just in time for me to leave again for Murfreesboro, TN where Rachel has a soccer tournament.
I got in about 40 minutes of riding in the morning while Carol was still sleeping. Early enough for a sunrise ride and to enjoy pedaling the mostly empty streets of Paris. When I arrived back at the hotel room, Carol was searching out a new hotel. Because of the thinness of the walls, noise kept Carol from falling asleep until 4:00AM. She was not a happy camper. So, before visiting Rodin and Musee D’Orsay, the first order of business was to catch the Underground to a new hotel.
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| The Velib bike system in Paris. |
On the way to the underground, we passed this mail carrier bike. I figure a city has to be doing something right if they use bikes to help deliver the mail.
On the Underground, people have different ways of trying to earn a few Euros. Playing the accordion seems to be a popular venue, though, that could be rather overwhelming in the tight quarters of a train car. But, that morning, I thought someone had come up with a very creative tact. I heard upbeat music coming from behind us and thought someone was just playing their boom box. I looked back to see a curtain hanging between two poles and a little puppet show going on. I had no idea of the theme but it was very lively and, being in theater, I certainly appreciated his efforts and gave him a Euro.
Fortunately, Carol was up for bike riding to our destinations and there was a bike station very close to the new hotel. Navigating around Paris is a real challenge. Yes, there are the main boulevards that run straight for miles. But, in between, there is a very twisting network of small streets that wind their way about. It is these twisting, narrow streets that do provide Paris so much of its charm and character.
To complicate matters, there are lots of one way streets. Bicyclists are allowed many of them but some are so narrow it’s not very safe to ride against the flow. More than once, I have come across three streets facing me that were all one way against me with the only direction I seemed to be able to take was back from whence I came. Then, there is the matter of the street names, which seem to change every few blocks. But, without too much trouble, I managed to navigate us to the Rodin museum.
Such a contrast walking into the Rodin museum compared to the Versailles the day before. The grounds were, of course, much smaller but with still a garden one would be proud to call one’s own. The museum building was an old hotel/apartment building that Rodin lived in; a 3 story affair with 12 foot ceilings and long floor to ceiling windows yet still having a very intimate feel. Looking at sculptures in the garden, Carol and I glanced up at apartment buildings just across the small road and thought what a delight it might be to have an upper story flat and be able to look out into the Rodin garden. Nothing is like being there in person and seeing his work. He has a way of breathing life into marble like no other. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.
I am very familiar with The Kiss and The Thinker, but not with The Age of Bronze as Rodin labeled this male nude. Because of the back lighting, and since flash photography was not allowed, I was not able to capture a good frontal view of this wonderful statue. Rodin worked on this piece for two years, using an inexperienced model, a soldier, for a more natural look. The statue was so realistic that when the piece was first made public, Rodin was still new to the art scene and he was accused of directly applying plaster to the model and making a mold from that.
Bust of Rodin, sculpted by his mistress, Camille.
Head from a full body statue in the garden.
Baby on The Gates for Hell. Rodin worked on and off of the Gates of Hell for 33 years.
The sculptural was commissioned by the Directorate of Fine Arts in 1880 and was meant to be delivered in 1885. Rodin would continue to work on and off on this project for 37 years, until his death in 1917. I do not really care for The Gates of Hell as it seems to be lacking the passion I sense from his other works. Perhaps that is why it took him so long to work on it as he did not care for it either.
The Shades
The Burghers of Calais
There was the added bonus at the museum of a Van Gogh, Matisse and a Renoir who Rodin was friends with.
View of the Rodin Garden from the house.
I left Rodin feeling completely sated; I could have headed straight for the airport, boarded a plane and felt totally satisfied with my time in Paris. We biked to lunch and then headed for Musee D’Orsay. On the way, I passed Þorleifur, sitting at a table at a sidewalk cafe and his tattoo stuck my eye. I asked him if I could take a picture and he showed me his other tattoo on the other arm. We spoke a few minutes and I very much enjoyed meeting him and his girl friend Sigurdis Harpa Amarsdottir, who is an artist. They are from Iceland.
Frank Zappa
Dali
Þorleifur Dolli Hjalmarsson
I was a bit nervous of taking in another museum after Rodin. On tap were Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cezanne plus many other Impressionists and I was afraid that as wonderful as all that would be it would feel like trying to have a heavy dessert after a very full meal. But, my disappointment was only in that no photography was allowed. Even the crowd did not dampen my spirits for being there. There were two Degas in particular that really grabbed my attention and, as a whole, I was struck by how he conveyed emotions in the subtle facial gestures of his characters. What was nice, too, about our visit there, was that even though there was a good-sized crowd, there was a reverence which made the crowd seem smaller. The biggest downside of our visit was that we misread how late they were open so that we only had an hour and a half there. And, the next day, our last day, they were closed. Alas, I still felt very happy to had the opportunity to spend what time we did have there.
We ended up at a very nice small restaurant near our hotel for that day. We turned out making conversation with the couple sitting next to us and had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Gabriel and Amadine.
11 June 2011 Ride: 2hrs. 15 miles. Miles YTD: 3,525.19
To see posts before this date, please go to www.mylifeasabike.blogspot.com
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