Tag: Paris
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Gargoyles and Notre Dame de Paris
The first time I saw the Notre Dame Cathedral (or really anything outside the western United States) was as a Mormon missionary in 1992. There was a tourist shop nearby that gave screamin’ deals to missionaries and I bought pretty much my favorite souvenir ever, a replica of the Rongeur gargoyle. I imagined him…
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Ugly faces of Pont Neuf
As you pass under Pont Neuf, the oldest standing bridge on the Seine River in Paris, you see a variety of grimacing stone faces. They’re called mascarons and there are 381 of them. They might be satyrs, sylvans and other forest deities. Or they might be caricatures of friends and enemies of Henry IV. Here are my favorites:
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Here Comes the Sun at the Pompidou Center
In 1993, I was a Mormon missionary, wandering the streets of Paris, France, to spread the Good News. A favorite place to go for a break when knocking doors wasn’t working (which was most of the time) was Place Georges Pompidou, an open concrete square in front of a modern art museum where street performers, hawkers, caricature artists,…
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Speed Tour of Paris
On the way back from India last week, I had a 7.5-hour layover at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. I arrived at 6am and then rushed through passport control to the train station (which is conveniently attached to the airport). I took a train to Gare du Nord and walked to Sacré Coeur…
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Happy Easter!
In the Orsay Museum in Paris, there’s a smallish painting by Eugène Burnand that really stands out for me. It’s Les Disciples Pierre et Jean courant au sépulcre le matin de la Résurrection (The Disciples Peter and John Running to the Tomb On The Morning of the Resurrection). I love the look of hope, and maybe…