It seems like that’s all I do these days! Obviously, I didn’t blog while I was in Paris last weekend, and shortly after we returned I (and my husband) promptly got sick with a cold. All I did this week and go to work, get home and try not to fall asleep immediately! I’m just starting to feel better now, though, so I’m hoping to catch up on all the blogging I’ve missed over the last week and a half while I was gone. Halloween isn’t going to be celebrated around here; I know it’s not a very popular attitude but it’s actually my least favorite holiday! My only observation has been the spooky books I read for the RIP challenge, which I still haven’t wrapped up.
I meant to write a quick recap of our Paris trip – at least the literary bits of it – before now, but better late than never, right? I’d read about so much of what we saw, and it added an extra layer onto everything which was fantastic. It was especially awe-inspiring to be in Versailles, having read numerous books, fiction and non, about Marie Antoinette in particular. Here’s the bedroom which was last hers:
Unfortunately I couldn’t get the bottom because there were simply so many people there. At times we felt like cattle being herded through the palace – I can’t imagine how busy it must be in the summer if it was this bad at the end of October! They also had contemporary Japanese art scattered around that, to be honest, I wasn’t sure worked in that context. The whole place really made me interested in reading more about the others who lived there, though. I’ve learned about Louis XIV in school, but was never particularly inspired to read further about him – seeing evidence of his work, and that of his descendents, has definitely brought about a change in attitude.
Seeing history from a French perspective was so fascinating and I’m reminded of how limited I am by the fact that I only speak English fluently enough to read in it. Many times victories for the English, of course, were defeats for the French; almost everything I’ve read has been from an English perspective, or an American writing on an English perspective, and I can’t wait to try and seek out some French authors who’ve managed to get their work translated into English. I want to learn French (I have for a while now) but while I’m learning SEO I don’t think I can handle both. That might be a goal to start in 2011.
The other literary highlight to the trip was seeing one of Michelangelo’s statues in person for the very first time. I’ve really wanted to since I read The Agony and the Ecstasy last year, and at the Louvre I got my chance. Here’s a picture again if you missed Wednesday’s post:
The two Slave statues really did stand out from the others; the muscle definition and level of reality was truly a step above. I wasn’t sure my inexperienced eye would be able to catch that, but even in the dimmed light it was remarkable.
This week is going to be all about catching up. I have a few reviews to get done and a lot of blogs to comment on. So I’ll end here, and hope you all have a wonderful Halloween and a great start to November.
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