More from Paris

It hasn't been all frou frou during our trip. We have visited some museums and cemeteries along with seeing the siteseeing highlights. This has me thinking about death and art.

Although Cimitière Père Lachaise is less than a 10 minute walk from our home we have not yet visited it. We have visited Cimitière du Montmartre and Cimitière du Montparnasse as we visited those neighborhoods. They are crammed with biers and headstones, floral tributes, works of art, and small gardens. In an odd way they feel very vital, like a way less manicured Mt. Auburn Cemetery. (If you believe in heaven, hell, reincarnation, etc, you might want to skip ahead) I have always thought that when you die, that is it. Your afterlife is in what people remember of you so if you have been a good parent, friend, citizen, you remain a positive force. When I read Kevin Brockmeier's "The Brief History of the Dead with my book group, I felt as if someone else could express these strong feelings for me.It is partly about a city (The City) that is inhabited by folks who have recently died. They stay there until there is no one left on earth who remembers them. It is a lovely read.

All this aside we were eager to see the resting places of some favorites.At Montmarte we saw Berlioz,Degas Nijinsky and Francois Truffaut. Truffaut.s movies are among my favorites. I love the Antoine Doinel films, especially "Stolen Kisses" "Jules et Jim" was the first French movie I saw.I loved the character Truffaut played in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The hand signals that he gives to the aliens had the end is such a hopeful image. It always cheers me up. This is a picture of his grave. Classy.

At Montparnasse we could not find Man Ray;we did see the graves of Sartre and de Beauvoir, Beckett. There was a giant bird covered in mirrors that was a tribute to a friend. It is a work by Niki de Saint-Phalle; she was the creator of this wild Tarot card sculpture park in Tuscany that I hope to see someday.

She also did the scupture fountain near the Pompidou center on

Here is a video of the fountain:







I have not yet been in the Pompideau (Beaubourg)to the Museé National d'Art Moderne. I love museums when they are showing and teaching me something brand new. This doesn't have to mean a current artist, I have plenty to learn about most art. That said, it doesn't really get me excited if something seems only like an art book come to life. The size and color always amaze but ... This trip has been wonderful in opening my eyes. In the Air France flight magazine on the trip here I read about Peter Doig who has a big exhibit at the musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. Though I had never heard of him ( I said I was pretty ignorant) he is very well known. I saw mostly landscapes that were very layered. They had dreamlike images and symbols floating through them. I spent a very long time looking .

Another trip was by train to Giverny, to see Monet's gardens. The first time I saw Monet's waterlillies in the Orangerie I was 20 years old. All the Monet I have seen since then has felt less important then that first experience.

I was really going to see the gardens because I love how important they were to his painting and sense of place. They were magnificent,much less formal then the gardens around Paris. They are filled with familiar annuals.

We went to his house too, which has been lovingly and correctly refurbished. (The stove was a beauty) The surprising discovery was the art on his walls. They were totally covered with his extensive collection of Japanese woodblock prints. He owned over 200; he had all the masters, Hokusai,Hiroshige and Utamaro. They are beautiful in a way that is so different from the art he created; I am anxious to read and learn what he felt about them. At the Guimet Museum , which is a large Asian art museum here in Paris there is currently a Hokusai exhibit which I am going to go to.

We also went to the Musée Picasso. France got this collection of work from his heirs. He died without a will and this was the deal. I loved this because it had work that I was not familiar with.

There was a lot of collage, sculptures with the accompaning drawings, and many studies for paintings that are displayed. Much of the work seemed playful. I hadn't known much about his African period and he had a great collection of African art.

More museums coming, fashion observation and of course food.

I realize I have not said much about the food recently. Do not worry; we are eating and drinking well. I am going off on some food missions this week as well as exploring the Plages de Paris.

Stay cool.

Digression 1- My understanding of written French has allowed me to get a lot of information if I am careful and not rushed. My spoken French, with horrible accent, has been adequate in tourist situations but in the few social things we have done with friends of friends my vocabulary flies out of my head and I quickly get lost . Unless people speak very slowly I cannot have any kind of real conversation. In spite of this every person we have met has been kind as I try to struggle and speak.

Digression 2- I love the Metro