Monday, October 27, 2014

Paris: One More Spin Around the City

Monday, October 27, 2014
As we've walked back and forth from our apartment, several times we've passed the Shoah (Holocaust) Memorial; after reading a bit about it, we decided to make it today's first stop.  It's set well back from a main street, at the end of a pedestrian block; day or night, we've noticed that there is always a police car stationed outside.  Security to enter the complex is tight; we were buzzed into the security station, bags went through an X-Ray scanner, and we passed through a metal detector, and only then were we buzzed into the entrance courtyard.  Before entering the exhibit area, we passed along the Wall of Names, engraved with a list of the 76,000 Jews deported from France between 1942 and 1944.  (On the pedestrian block approaching the memorial is the Wall of the Righteous, listing the names of those officially recognized for their efforts to help their Jewish countrymen.)  In addition to documenting the historical developments on a national and international scale, the permanent exhibits provide detailed descriptions of the lives of many individuals.  A burning flame  within a Star of David flickers in a crypt containing ashes from the victims.
In addition to extensive exhibits, the Memorial also contains vast archives, photographs, and a research library.  It as especially moving, as we've been staying in the center of Paris's Jewish life and, here and elsewhere in the city, we've passed many plaques memorializing the deported;  as it was in Brittany and Normandy, the past is always present here.  Leaving the museum, we had to pass through two set sets of locked doors; the outer door would not open until the inner one had been locked.
Leaving the Marais, we walked a bit and took the Metro to the Eiffel Tower.  The lines to ascend were VERY long, and the vast area beneath the tower was full of people.  We decided to forego the trip to the top, which we've done on previous trips, and take advantage of the photo ops at ground level, which were plentiful.  We enjoyed our lunch in a park in the shadow of the tower; there was a lovely tranquil little lake just steps from the crowds under the tower.  We crossed the Seine to the Trocadero and Palace of Chaillot for more tower views.











From there, it was a straight shot along the wide Avenue Kleber to the Arc de Triomphe, and more classic views, before walking along Blvd. Haussmann to the Jacquemart-Andre Museum.  This is the city  mansion and private art collection of a 19th-century couple who traveled the world to amass a huge collection extraordinary works.  Their  home itself is a work of art, an enormous residence situated at a bit of a remove and seemingly a world away from the busy boulevard.  The collection included works from Rembrandt, Van Dyke, Botticelli, Donatello, Della Robbia, Reynolds, Fragonard, Tiepolo, and so much  more; it was impossible to even imagine living amid such treasures.  Talk about lifestyles of the rich and tasteful!
Another late afternoon walk, another Metro ride, and we were home for dinner, our trip is at an end; we fly home tomorrow.  It was another great experience for this traveling duo, and we're so grateful to have been able to do it.


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