Paris Ponderings and Art

I cannot even begin to explain the emotion one has when standing in front of one of the great works of Monet or Rodin or even a Cathedral called Chartes that took 300 years to build with it's many angles and stained glass windows. In a word...it is literally breath-taking. It steals your breath, it makes you weep. Not only for the beauty these masters created but also for the tragic lives they led and their stories of inner battle for acceptance in this world. Many never saw their works completed or the grandure of their art hung in a gallery. Yesterday was one of those days that took me by surprise. I was completely taken by Claude Monet's art exhibit "Lily Pond." It inhabits 2 large oval rooms covering all the walls. You are not allowed to talk...just meditate on the art itself. You can take pictures without a flash of which I took many. What an incredible experience. I am humbled.

It started raining in Paris yesterday and continues today. Steven and our friends are out shopping at the local farmers market now as I type this. It is Noon here. We will be preparing a large dinner for our friends and their family who will be visiting us in the apartment tonight. The apartment is a beautiful yet typical parisian apartment with high ceilings, a large living room and very small bedrooms (3 of them). It is in an incrdible location where you can walk around the corner to see the Pantheon where many famous artists are buried...walk a few steps further and you can see the top 1/3 of the Eiffel Tower. We have not visited it yet but will go on Friday. Our friend Dominique has been so gracious to let us stay here with her and Jose. There are so many things to see in a week and we are a bit tired today so have decided to just cook and enjoy our friends company on this rainy day.

I hope you are all well. I will continue to update you on our incredible journey for the remainder of this week then on to Turkey by myself to meet up with my friends on Sunday.
Take care,

T&S