On the 4th day, we went
to a number of different places within the Latin Quarter. I enjoyed this day in
particular, because I was able to digest the city in a different manner than we
had been in the last couple of days. I was completely overwhelmed by the Louvre
and really exhausted from getting to know the metro, getting accustomed to
walking around so much, and this city in general. But, the Latin Quarter was
really nice because it felt a lot more eclectic than any other part of Paris
that I’ve seen so far. There were two things in particular that I really
enjoyed on Day 4. Saint Severin Church, and The Pantheon.
I normally
am not extremely attracted to churches-I think that they are beautiful,
particularly in Paris, but I can only stay in them for so long. At Saint
Severin, I found that to be a completely different case. This church was filled
with beautiful architecture-amazing, amazing architecture filled with the most
beautiful stained glass, fan vaults, and gothic arches. I was attracted to one
room in particular though, that felt and looked a lot different than the rest
of the church. Set aside on the left part of the building, was a small chapel
called, “The Chappelle du Saint-Sacrament.”
The light throughout the church as
a whole was particularly dark-very moody, beautiful, quiet light moving through
the stained glass. But, the light within this room was warm, bright, and
radiating a different kind of energy. It might have been the time of day that
we were there that caused this room to be so beautiful to me, but once I
entered into the space there was a muffling, a quietness to it that wasn’t
found in the rest of the church that echoed every sound you made. What really
allowed me to connect to this room was the fact that there were Gardenias next
to the altar-that scent in particular reminds me of family and nostalgia-so I
felt connected almost immediately. I spent awhile sitting within the space and
enjoying the chance to reflect/be quiet for a minute. The light, smell, and
space were extremely conducive to look back on the last couple of days and
decompress.
The second thing in particular that
was of interest to me was The Pantheon. It was absolutely beautiful. I have no
words for what it feels like to approach the building and stand under the
massive columns, to see the intricate detailing hundreds of feet up from you on
the ceiling, and the beautiful sculptures that live within this space. But the
part that I enjoyed the most was the crypt downstairs. We almost left without
seeing it, and I’m really happy we didn’t. The idea of keeping your country’s
most beloved, highly regarded, and well-known members of society within the
basement of this building, open to the public to come and visit you after your
death, is beyond me.
Some of these people that were
within this underground, yet aboveground burial have been there for hundreds of
years. How do you acquire these bodies? Why do you keep them? How does one get
nominated to be permanently “buried” there? I found the whole concept
absolutely intriguing but extremely challenging, coming from a culture where
the norm is to bury your loved ones underground, or cremate them. Seeing how
people still come today to bring flowers, objects and different artifacts to
people they admire or care about is absolutely beautiful. I think that its
interesting to give the public a space to come and meditate, re-live history,
and allow yourself to be connected/re-connect with a part of your culture.
I think the overall theme for Day 4
was mediation-I was still extremely overwhelmed visually/mentally/physically
and finding these little spots of surprise mediation was really beautiful and necessary.
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