At the end of our walking tour we took a leisurely lunch and then headed out for the Panthéon. We were right in the neighborhood, so it was a quick walk. Originally, the Panthéon was designed to be a church dedicated to St. Geneviève. It was not finished and the French revolution broke out. The new revolutionary government ordered it to be changed from a church to a mausoleum for the interment of great Frenchmen.
It is situated on top of hill in the Latin Quarter and can be seen from most parts of Paris. Many famous French citizens rest in it's tombs, including Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo and Marie Curie. In the center of the building there is a huge pendulum, know as Foucault's pendulum. It was created to demonstrate the Earth's rotation.
Père-Lachaise
The next day we took a trip to Père-Lachaise, another final resting place for many famous people. Of course, one of the better know residents is Jim Morrison. As we neared his grave stone there seemed to be a strange scent in the air. We came upon a group of guys with sun glasses on (it was completely overcast, so the sun glasses weren't for the sun).
It's a hunt to find many of the famous graves with all the winding roads throughout the cemetary. This is the grave of Oscar Wilde. It is the most defaced monument in the place, with kisses and sentiments written all over it.
Flowers and notes are left at many of the monuments. The monument for Chopin, who died more than 150 years ago, was covered with plants and flowers.
1 comment:
Looks like you guys are still doign good mileage and having a wonderful time. Thanks for the posts!
Mark J.
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