How lucky are we, another lovely day in Paris. Day 5 and we managed
to put a dent in our list of must-sees. Today would be the Rodin Museum
and Gardens. Last time I was here they were working on the museum
and were unable to view a lot of his works. With it finally completed
I was anxious to see what changes were made, if any.

The Rodin Museum opened in 1919 in the private mansion where Rodin
lived and worked, assembling a collection of his works.
Also known as Hotel Biron, the mansion and museum are lovely but the
gardens are certainly a must-see.

We all recognize his most famous sculpture, The Thinker. This imposing
figure was from 1880, but did not actually appear to the public till
1904.

Throughout the large garden area there are sculptures scattered along the
grounds. If you know Rodin’s work, you know a lot of his work is very
provocative.

Due to the time of year, not to many blooms in the garden, I was able to
find this beautiful rose. I call it the Rodin Rose.

The Kiss by Auguste Rodin

And then there was Van Gogh. Rodin was also an art collector and
has several great works of art in the museum.

After leaving Rodin’s museum, we decided to walk to the St. Germain
area. The sun was gone and it had turned a little colder, but walking in
Paris is such a pleasant experience, like walking through a never-ending
museum.

The cafés of Paris

St. Germain-des-Pres Church is one of the oldest churches in Paris. It was
originally built in 542 and destroyed by the Vikings. It was rebuilt in
1163, sitting now in the middle of a busy area of Paris. It was truly
a stunning sight exploring the peaceful serene church with beautiful
stained glass windows and faded frescos that must have been truly
beautiful many years ago.

Notice the beautiful frescos on the upper walls. So many of these
churches were adorned in brilliant colors centuries ago. This church
was a classic example of how beautiful it must have been with all its
colors and frescos adorning it’s interior.

Back on the streets it was now getting dark, so we decided to walk back
towards our hotel for dinner.

Dinner at Del Arte on Saint Michel would be a type of French Bruschetta
with smoked salmon, one with chicken pate, and one with cheese, served
with a seafood salad.

Our full days would always end with a walk on the Seine admiring the
lights of the city. We never could get enough of the sight of a lighted
Notre Dame in the evening standing so majestically along the Seine.

Walking down the Seine we would pass the Conciergerie, a former palace
and prison starting in the 6th century. Prison or not, it was spectacular
at night.

Our day now ends as we walk back to our hotel, exhausted but with, what
I call, our Paris high. Tomorrow would be another great day, after all
we would be going to a Christian Dior Fashion Exhibit. I couldn’t wait.

More photos and tales to come – Au revoir