Le Penseur et Le Baiser de Rodin

On my 4th trip to Paris and after spending a total of over 2 weeks in Paris in the past 8 years, I finally made it to the Rodin museum on the same day that my camera broke!

I had some extra time this afternoon, and since I can only take museums in small doses, I thought it was time for this small, but excellent, Paris museum right across from L'Hotel des Invalides and with a view of Le Tour Eiffel. The most famous Rodin works are here, including The Kiss, The Thinker, and The Gates of Hell. All were impressive in person. What I also found interesting is that Rodin made several copies with slight variations in either material or features of several of his works.

The building that houses the museum has an interesting history. Auguste Rodin actually lived in it during the early 1900s and when he couldn't make the payments, he offered to donate several of his works to the city of Paris in lieu of cash payment. It was fun to walk around what is essentially a large house with creaky wood floors, large milky glass windows, and ornate walls and chandeliers that could themselves be on display as art. Some of the marble top gilded tables Robin's work rested upon were nearly as impressive as the sculptures themselves. The museum felt as if the house were turned into a presentation studio more so than a proper museum.

Gardens on the property also include many of Rodin's bronze sculptures and if it weren't for the drone of construction from a nearby property, I would have taken a little nap on one of the benches next to the pond. After a few hours, I wandered over to the Musee d'Orsay, wishing I had the stamina to visit what I remember as being my favourite museum on my first visit in 1999. Instead, I crossed the Seine and Les Jardins Tulieres, thinking I might happen upon the Westin, where my parents and I are going to be staying for a weekend in May. Turns out the Westin is literally on Rue de Rivoli overlooking the gardens and the Louvre - perfect location! (except for the fact that there are no 'corner shops' nearby to grab fruit, yogurt, or coffees; unless you count Dior as a corner shop).

I took the cheap and efficient Paris Metro back to Montparnasse to rest for a bit before I planned to go out for dinner. Instead, after eating a takeaway Quiche Lorraine, I repeated my nap/room service routine. I just don't have the ambition to venture out and eat alone in a restaurant as I still feel I am fighting off something and I am not one to enjoy eating alone anyway, especially in Paris.

I did, however, discover why I was up until 4am last night. Those yummy chocolates on my pillow that I ate, ahem, five of were coffee chocolates! I should have known, but they were so good and I didn't register the coffee flavour nor did I register that I shouldn't be eating caffeinated chocolate past 4pm. Instead, I watched a very interesting documentary called 'Born into Brothels' about children in Calcutta, and one American photographer's mission to get several of them into proper schools. At least I wasn't watching infomercials or the home shopping network.