Journees du Patrimoine

One weekend a year a variety of historical and cultural sights are free and open to the public. We were able to get to four of the sights.  It was fun to get a "behind the scenes" look and to see Parisians as tourists in their own city.  There were lots of families and small children, something we haven't seen much of previously.

1.  Sorbonne

The Sorbonne is the oldest university in Paris.  It was founded in 1247, and is now a center for arts and letters in the French university system.  I kept trying to convince Isaac it was a lot like Hogwarts but he wasn't buying it.  He's right that there was no evidence of witchcraft and/or wizardry.

A number of rooms had similar crests in the ceiling.  

The tour included a display by fashion design students.  Libby and I
were reminded of Project Runway - one day you're in and the day next
you're out.

A hat?

Large lecture hall.
Nothing like the rooms I typically teach in at BYU, which tend to be in the gym.

Outside courtyard.  Probably not a lot of frisbee being played here.

Reading room.

Isaac thinking learning at the Sorbonne is boring...

 2.  Pantheon

The Pantheon is normally open to the public, but was free this weekend.  According to Rick Steves, "In 1744, an ailing King Louis XV was miraculously healed by St. Genevieve, the city's patron saint, and he thanked her by replacing her ruined church with a more fitting tribute.  By the time the church was completed (1791), however, the secular-minded Revolution was in full swing, and the church was converted into a nonreligious mausoleum honoring the "Champions of French liberty": Voltaire, Rousseau, Descartes, and others."  Or more tombs with dead people as Luke said.

Contemplating his mortality.

Replica of the Pantheon, in the Pantheon.

We had lots of blurry pictures today.
That is what happens when the kids are in charge of picture taking.

Voltaire's tomb.

Rousseau's tomb.

3.  Hotel de Ville (City Hall)

We have passed by Hotel de Ville a number of times, it is actually pretty close to where we go to church, so I was excited to be here the one day of the year when you are allowed to go inside.  The Hotel de Ville has been an important location since it was first built in the 1500s (and rebuilt after a 19th century fire).  Revolutionaries rallied here on their way to the Bastille in 1789, General Charles de Gaulle appeared at the windows to proclaim Paris' liberation from the Nazis during WWII, it is the backdrop for Robert Doisneau's famous photo (below), and continues to be a gathering place and the center of government in Paris.

"The Kiss"

I'm not sure what this is, but it contains
empty coke cans as part of the display.

Luke had a little breakdown again today.

There was live music outside and in this large hall.

City council room.  Isaac said he's been to the city council room at the
Springville City Hall and "it's nothing like this."

Library of city records.

The mayor's office.  The current mayor of Paris is Bertrand Delanoe.  He is responsible
for a lot of the "green" movement in Paris, like the Velib bike sharing program and is openly gay.

4.  Ecole Militaire (Military school)

We live right across the street from the Ecole Militaire (also the name of our metro stop) so it was fun to get to see inside.  They only had a small section of the building open, but had people dressed up and activities going on in the courtyard.

The French military really doesn't inspire much confidence.