Let them eat cake.
Yesterday, after a lazy morning of reading e-mail, tech news, and sorting through thousands of photos, I went to Place de la Bastille and the Musee d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaisme.
I remember my first time visiting Place de la Bastille 10 years ago and being rather disappointed. I was expecting to see the Bastille and not just some big pillar. But, as Deny explained to me at the time, that's kind of the point. The prison was torn down by the revolutionaries as a symbol of oppression, so of course there's only a monument there now. So anyway, this time I knew what to expect and could appreciate the monument for its monumentalness.
The Jewish museum, like most Jewish museums, was for the most part depressing. However, it was also fascinating to see medieval menorahs, read propaganda relating to the Dreyfuss affair, and learn about the debate over the status of Jews caused by the Declaration of the Rights of Man. The part of each room I looked forward to the most was quotes from modern Jewish French men and women about what being Jewish means to them.
Today, Yann didn't have to work, so we drove to Versailles, a living testament to the axiom, "the bigger they are, the harder they fall." You can't help but notice none of the monarchies that survived to the present day ever undertook any project as grand as Versailles, and wonder if France would be a constitutional monarchy now if it hadn't been for such excesses.
As for the interior of the palace, it seems like once you've seen one 18th century palace, you've seen them all. As I walked through the royal chambers, I kept recalling Schönbrunn in Austria and Herrenchiemsee in Bavaria. Of course, there's a reason for that. Everyone was trying to imitate the French court at Versailles. So even though I've seen plenty of similar palaces, there's something to be said for seeing the original that inspired them all.
Tomorrow I'll be going to church with Jenny, Yann and the girls and they've invited some people home for lunch afterwards. Jenny says they only invited single people, "but don't worry, it's not a set up."
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