Travels in the 2nd half

One of the really great things about spending time in the center of a large city like Paris is that there are a wide choice of places to visit, all within a short walk of each other. For example, The Cluny Museum is very close to the Ilé de la Cité. This offers and opportunity to visit several sights in one afternoon. Ilé de la Cité , an island in the Seine, was the center of Paris, and French life. It was home to the royal family through the 14th century. The former royal palace is now the Palais de Justice, where the highest courts in France have resided for hundreds of years. Between the 14th and 18th centuries, it was a place where royal tribunals were held. It is also home to the royal chapel - Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel). Palais du Justice The Sainte-Chapelle was built between 1240 and 1248 CE by Louis IX. It served as the reliquary for the holy relics that Louis had collected, including the purported crown of thorns. There are two levels to the chapel. The ground floor was wh...

Wall Street, New York 1915 by Paul Strand   The 3rd Arrondissement in Paris is filled with art shops, galleries, and small museums. They offer a wide range of genres and offerings. For those of you who are interested in photography, one place you must visit is the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson. By Martine Franck / Magnum Photos / Fondation HCB - http://www.henricartierbresson.org/en/hcb/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33722890 By Henri-Cartier Bresson - Original publication: unknownImmediate source: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/aug/19/martine-franck, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57497254 The foundation was founded in 2003 by Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), his wife Martine Franck (1938-2012), who was a wonderful photographer in her own right, and their daughter, Mélanie Cartier-Bresson. Its mission is to maintain and curate the collections of Franck and Cartier-Bresson, and to exhibit their work, and the work of...

  After my horrible experience at the Musée de Quai Branley , I looked forward to going to a museum that I have wanted to see since it opened. On my last visit to Paris, in 1985, I found the Jue de Palme both wonderful and overwhelming. This trip, I anticipated my visit to the Musée d’Orsay with growing joy, and that day had finally arrived. My ticket for the museum was timed for noon, so I used my morning to explore a little of the Left Bank. Leaving the Metro at the Solférino station, I walked along Blvd. Saint-Germain. One thing was clear right away, while the neighborhood used to be a hang-out for poor students, today it is very posh. The stores were high-end, and the restaurants were pricey. While walking along I encountered Le Maison de l’Amerique latine (The Latin American House). This society was founded in 1946 to be a bridge between French and Latin American cultures. In the wake of the French Resistance, President Charles de Gaulle and the Dept. of Foreign Affairs want...