Old and New

It's an old travel tradition ... taking a shot of Bruce
with something coming out of his head.

We learned today about the proud tradition in France where someone introduces something new ... the Pyramid by the Louvre, for example, and everyone complains bitterly, upset about the loss of tradition, the disturbing of the proper order of things ... and then time passes and everyone settles down, learns to tolerate the new thing and, eventually, grudgingly, accepts it. Then someone comes along proposing another change, and the once reviled thing takes on the precious aspect of an icon that cannot be defiled.... and so on. 

So here are some old and new things we saw today.

Palais Royal - Musee du Louvre Metro Station - "Kiosk of the Night Walker"
by Jean-Michel Othoniel. Commissioned by the transit authority in 2000. 

Glass teardrop with butterfly inclusions, suspended from the ceiling halfway to the altar in La  Madeleine. Part of an installation called Tears of Joy, by Benoît Dutour. 103 glass tear drops symbolize the gifts of the Magi. They include butterflies, a 500 euro note and ashes from Notre Dame.

       

The Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The former is most like a Kardashian, in that it is not all that accomplished, but undeniably famous. The latter is more like Angela Merkel, in that it is not as famous, but really in every other respect the far superior piece of work.

And here's Bruce on one of the Colonnes de Buren, at the Palais Royal in Paris’ first arrondissement. Very controversial when installed in 1986, they are now beloved and will cause a great stir should anyone mess with them.

It was a great day today with its mix of old and new. Tomorrow, the Palais Garnier and a tour of Montmartre.

Thanks for reading!

Karen

There's a Mona Lisa in here somewhere...