Today dawns brighter and sunnier in Paris than any other day so far. It doesn’t last long though, and creates some interesting lighting conditions as I’m walking behind Ile St Louis towards the Pantheon.
It’s probably 10 years since the last time I visited the Pantheon. I remember it being cold and the building largely deserted. It’s quite busy today, but I am most surprised at how the building has deteriorated in the last decade. The building has had structural problems for the last 30 years, but the condition of the building, both inside and outside is noticeably worse than I remember. Foucault’s Pendulum has been removed for 3 years for maintenance, and the interior of the cupola is obscured by netting and scaffolding. The exterior of the cupola is completely covered by scaffolding.
Down in the crypt, there are many people wandering around, mostly interested in Rousseau, Voltaire and the Curies. I remember a video used to play in one of the annexes that showed the processions for the induction of the heroes of the French Republic into the Pantheon. One was of Louis Braille, back in 1952, in winter. The video showed women in their heavy fur coats, with men carrying torches of fire as they marched to the Pantheon. The video also showed other ceremonies and processions throughout the years, including Francois Mitterand’s ceremony as President in 1981. It’s a shame that it’s no longer on show – it was a great video and brought to life (no pun intended) the importance of the Pantheon as a secular tribute to the heroes of the Republic, whether they be military, scientists, or statesmen.
I have an evening ticket for the Musee d’Orsay, which is just as well because at 7pm the line for tickets is about an hour’s wait. The museum is busy, with most people either in the Luxembourg room, or on the fifth floor in the Impressionist gallery. The Impressionist gallery has an extensive collection of Monet, Manet, Pissaro, Sisley and Degas – with most people gathered around Monet’s most famous paintings. Photography isn’t allowed in the museum, but that apparently doesn’t apply to people with camera phones 🙂
I continue to be impressed by the night capabilities of the Sony RX100M2 Â – the shot below of the Institut de France is in full darkness, well past the magic hour.
