I am Le Tired

28 October 2007
Thank God for Daylight Savings. I got an extra hour of sleep that was very useful for a long Parisian adventure. Since it is Sunday and we are a Catholic school, we had an optional mass…at Notre Dame! I did not understand much...ok…anything, but I read the readings in my program, then I closed my eyes and prayed in a way I hadn’t in a very long time. They say that you really feel a special, spirituality in Notre Dame. I may have felt it. After mass, I did not need touristy photos of the Cathedral. I felt like I took something else away with me.
After meeting back up with the group, we went to Saint-Chapelle, where Jesus’ crown of thorns was kept, apparently (insert cynical smirk here). It was beautifully painted with exquisite stained glass windows. It was a fun place to practice radical photography.
I enjoyed a French Onion Soup at a small café nearby, before catching the Metro to the Rodin Museum. The gardens had gorgeous statues, like The Thinker and a crazy sculpture of Balzac (who I have actually heard of now, thanks to Allison). The inner museum is full of bronze and marble statures, regarding everything, from the fall of man to the detail of the human face, to sex. Some of my favorites were the sculptures of hands. I could really appreciate the intimacy and delicate nature of hands. They can be tender, gentle and protective; or harsh, threatening and harmful.
I boarded the Metro with some friends and hit up the Montmartre district, near Sacre Coeur. Despite some mild drama, I had an amazing evening! We just strolled the streets and people-watched. There was a performer who was spinning and juggling a soccer ball for about a half hour or so. I was with a fairly new group of people, Sarah B, Allison, and Emily, but it was good company and I felt relaxed—and I was allowed to vent a little.
I had a glass of wine with Emily and we talked for a while. Now, I am watching BBC World and knowing that I will sleep like a rock tonight.