Post by LHR02 on Jun 30, 2005 21:59:48 GMT -5
this just in........
Awed and Amazed in Paris
« H » email link
Hello everyone:
So I have been a bad person and not updated my blog in a couple of days. Truth be told, the days since I enrolled in my classes have been quite hectic. They're always very full and by the time I get back to my room at the Cite I'm quite tired and often end up falling asleep. But here I am today (despite the fact that it is 1 am) to update everyone on my comings and going:
I am really enjoying my time here in Paris! My days of readjustment (I'm slow at this) have passed and I am back to feeling "at home" in this city. I've established a routine and gone back to visiting or hanging out near some of my old haunts. It all feel so familiar and it's a great feeling. To feel at home in possibly the world's most magnificent city is nothing short of incredible! Truth is I don't think I will ever be just a tourist in Paris -- it will always feel much more person than that -- and I don't mind one bit!
I think part of what has helped me feel settled in are my classes. I've discovered that I am really quite interested in the civil law system. You see, this week has been mainly consumed by orientation. We've received lectures to introduce us to the laws of Europe, the distinction between common law and civil law systems and the French courts and legal profession. It's been a heavy heavy load and a lot to take in at once! I'll confess to feeling overwhelmed sometimes in class but thankfully I also find everything fascinating. The entire notion of the civil code (a tiny little book that comprises what would take us in Canada endless bookshelves to equal) is surprisingly exciting to me. Actually, being here has made me realize that I would really like to study the civil system in Quebec.
As far as people who I hang out with it turns out that the initial group of people I met with on Saturday have turned into a crew of sorts. NCC to be exact -- the "Not Cornell Crew." ;o) What can I say? Apparently there isn't much mingling going on. We go everywhere together and just plain old hang out. On the weekends however we mostly go our separate ways. Amongs the things we are doing separately on weekends: seeing to visitors, going to London, going to Pamplona (3 of the guys are running with the bulls), going to Madrid, going to Bruges, and in my case this weekend -- going to Mont St. Michel/St. Malo!!!!!!! I've always wanted to go there -- even last time I tried but never made it. I'm really excited although a little worried 'cause I'm going with an organization of young Paris foreign students and I know no one. Let's home I make fast friends!
Oh did I mention the reception? Paris I and Cornell threw an opening reception for us in a seldom used salon in the Sorbonne. In fact it is the exact room where the treaty was signed in the late 1800s re-establishing the Olympic games. Anywayz, it was so much better than I expected it to be! There were the most fantastic dishes to be had! We're talking amuses bouches, cake, pastries, the works! And the best part was the REAL French champagne. Now when at home would a law student ever get the real stuff at school? Never. Ever. Ever.
With the program we have also had the opportunity to tour the Cour de Cassation (one of the French Supreme Courts -- there are two) and the sealed-off areas of the Sorbonne. The Cour is located within the Palais de Justice on the Ile de la Cite. It's a massive structure that actually holds multiple courts of varying jurisdiction and levels. That part seemed a bit strange to me because in North America the Supreme Court building would never be occupied by a lower court. Anywayz, the court itself is absolutely stunning. It's an elaborately decorated ream with fantastic murals, tapestries, and gilding galore! The ironic thing, given it's sumptuousness, is that the current court was built during the French Revolution. You would think a people that had just rebelled against the nobility would have a little more restraint . . . I was disappointed to discover however that there are NO women on the highest benches of the French Republic. Maybe one of my classmates will one day assume that role. One can dream.
Something I found particularly interesting in the Palais de Justice was a small unassuming, wooden court room. It certainly had no guilding and would at first glance appear largely insignificant. Of course appearances can be deceiving! In this case, that unassuming court room was the very court room where Marie Antoinette was tried and condemmed to be guillotined. Since that day the room has not been touched. It looks exactly as it did then. I was in awe of that room! Or better put I was in awe of the history of the place! It is that sense of rich tradition and history that I so love about Europe. In North America everything was built last week but in Europe every place has a story that you've likely read in a history book. That to me is incredible!
Speaking of incredible places: My visit to the Sorbonne was astounding. We were allowed to see the Sorbonne Chapell. It is closed to the public as it is currently being restored to the tune of 40 million Euros! Originally the Chapell walls were of pink Italian marble, and the floor of black and white marble. The entire altar was also guilded in gold. This of course was all thanks to the comission of Cardinal Richelieu. A man hated by France but largely responsible for the establishment of the Sorbonne (the second oldest University in the world).
When he died, Richelieu requested that he be buried in the Chapell -- but it wasn't ready in time. So he was mummified until such a time when it was completed. That day eventually arrived and he was moved into his new permanent resting place. In his will he had requested that a cercophagus be built for him as well. Let me tell you it is a stunning piece of art. Reclining on one corner of the coffin (and weeping) is a woman. Her slumped body speaks of her utter despair. This woman is representative of the Catholic church. On top of the coffin is the Cardinal himself. He is wrapped in a blanket (he is dying at this point) and is being held up by the Virgin Mary, in a pieta post. All the sculptures are life sized and beautifully made.
One grusome little detail however is that the coffin now contains only his head. It was returned there (in the late 1900s) after it was removed from the rest of the body (which was disposed of in a not too Christian manner) and toyed around with for a while by the revolutionaries. They sure were angry with the Cardinal and are responsible for the utter destruction of the inside of the Chapell (including the destruction of an altar piece similar to that in St. Peter's in Rome) and several knicks and cracks on the sculpture itself. The only reason the piece is still there to be seen is because it was saved by a certain Monsieur Le Noir. He removed the cercophagus from the Chapell and scuttled it away to a safe location (he did the same with many other treasures in Paris). When the crowd lunged at the piece ready to destroy it he threw himself on top and yelled that he claimed the piece for the Republic. Apparently these were the magic words and the piece was spared.
The rest of the tour was equally astounding. Let me tell you that the Sorbonne (at least the part closed to the public) is quite the palace! I doubt that any other University building in the world can rival it's sheer beauty and magnificence. The halls were completely marble, the decorations were all in gold, the chandeliers were the sort of things I dream about, and the art -- oh the art! It was an absolute privilige to have visited those places. I managed to take about 100 pictures today and I will treasure them always.
I will close this entry by sharing with you some of the WWII related stories I heard on the tour today: In the last of the rooms we visited the guide pointed out two holes in a mural. Apparently, during WWII the Sorbonne students were also resistance fighters. They barricaded themselves in that room and shot at the Germans on the street below. They of course replied and those two bullets pierced the walls. They have been left there as a memory of what happened during those years.
This of course we all found fascinating -- when the guy saw that he continued: We then were told about the heroic acts of the Dean of the Sorbonne. Apparently when it became evident that Paris would fall, he ordered that all the gold pieces/decorations in the building be painted black. His orders were followed and when the Gestapo arrived they assumed the pieces were of plain metal and walked away empty handed.
Even more astounding was the next story: At the sametime that he ordered the gold be painted black he also assembled the files of all of the Jewish students and Profs. at the University. He proceeded to transport those to the cellar of the building and had them walled-in so the Nazis could never find them. He also called all those people to the University and asked them to change their names to French names. This was followed by him issuing them new student IDs in the new name. Thus ensuring that although in the rest of Paris the still had to wear the yellow star marked "Juden" at least in the Latin Quarter they could rip it off and be protected under false identities.
This place is so alive with history and really it's just begging to be heard . . .
Awed and amazed,
A Canadian in Paris
posted Friday, 1 July 2005
Awed and Amazed in Paris
« H » email link
Hello everyone:
So I have been a bad person and not updated my blog in a couple of days. Truth be told, the days since I enrolled in my classes have been quite hectic. They're always very full and by the time I get back to my room at the Cite I'm quite tired and often end up falling asleep. But here I am today (despite the fact that it is 1 am) to update everyone on my comings and going:
I am really enjoying my time here in Paris! My days of readjustment (I'm slow at this) have passed and I am back to feeling "at home" in this city. I've established a routine and gone back to visiting or hanging out near some of my old haunts. It all feel so familiar and it's a great feeling. To feel at home in possibly the world's most magnificent city is nothing short of incredible! Truth is I don't think I will ever be just a tourist in Paris -- it will always feel much more person than that -- and I don't mind one bit!
I think part of what has helped me feel settled in are my classes. I've discovered that I am really quite interested in the civil law system. You see, this week has been mainly consumed by orientation. We've received lectures to introduce us to the laws of Europe, the distinction between common law and civil law systems and the French courts and legal profession. It's been a heavy heavy load and a lot to take in at once! I'll confess to feeling overwhelmed sometimes in class but thankfully I also find everything fascinating. The entire notion of the civil code (a tiny little book that comprises what would take us in Canada endless bookshelves to equal) is surprisingly exciting to me. Actually, being here has made me realize that I would really like to study the civil system in Quebec.
As far as people who I hang out with it turns out that the initial group of people I met with on Saturday have turned into a crew of sorts. NCC to be exact -- the "Not Cornell Crew." ;o) What can I say? Apparently there isn't much mingling going on. We go everywhere together and just plain old hang out. On the weekends however we mostly go our separate ways. Amongs the things we are doing separately on weekends: seeing to visitors, going to London, going to Pamplona (3 of the guys are running with the bulls), going to Madrid, going to Bruges, and in my case this weekend -- going to Mont St. Michel/St. Malo!!!!!!! I've always wanted to go there -- even last time I tried but never made it. I'm really excited although a little worried 'cause I'm going with an organization of young Paris foreign students and I know no one. Let's home I make fast friends!
Oh did I mention the reception? Paris I and Cornell threw an opening reception for us in a seldom used salon in the Sorbonne. In fact it is the exact room where the treaty was signed in the late 1800s re-establishing the Olympic games. Anywayz, it was so much better than I expected it to be! There were the most fantastic dishes to be had! We're talking amuses bouches, cake, pastries, the works! And the best part was the REAL French champagne. Now when at home would a law student ever get the real stuff at school? Never. Ever. Ever.
With the program we have also had the opportunity to tour the Cour de Cassation (one of the French Supreme Courts -- there are two) and the sealed-off areas of the Sorbonne. The Cour is located within the Palais de Justice on the Ile de la Cite. It's a massive structure that actually holds multiple courts of varying jurisdiction and levels. That part seemed a bit strange to me because in North America the Supreme Court building would never be occupied by a lower court. Anywayz, the court itself is absolutely stunning. It's an elaborately decorated ream with fantastic murals, tapestries, and gilding galore! The ironic thing, given it's sumptuousness, is that the current court was built during the French Revolution. You would think a people that had just rebelled against the nobility would have a little more restraint . . . I was disappointed to discover however that there are NO women on the highest benches of the French Republic. Maybe one of my classmates will one day assume that role. One can dream.
Something I found particularly interesting in the Palais de Justice was a small unassuming, wooden court room. It certainly had no guilding and would at first glance appear largely insignificant. Of course appearances can be deceiving! In this case, that unassuming court room was the very court room where Marie Antoinette was tried and condemmed to be guillotined. Since that day the room has not been touched. It looks exactly as it did then. I was in awe of that room! Or better put I was in awe of the history of the place! It is that sense of rich tradition and history that I so love about Europe. In North America everything was built last week but in Europe every place has a story that you've likely read in a history book. That to me is incredible!
Speaking of incredible places: My visit to the Sorbonne was astounding. We were allowed to see the Sorbonne Chapell. It is closed to the public as it is currently being restored to the tune of 40 million Euros! Originally the Chapell walls were of pink Italian marble, and the floor of black and white marble. The entire altar was also guilded in gold. This of course was all thanks to the comission of Cardinal Richelieu. A man hated by France but largely responsible for the establishment of the Sorbonne (the second oldest University in the world).
When he died, Richelieu requested that he be buried in the Chapell -- but it wasn't ready in time. So he was mummified until such a time when it was completed. That day eventually arrived and he was moved into his new permanent resting place. In his will he had requested that a cercophagus be built for him as well. Let me tell you it is a stunning piece of art. Reclining on one corner of the coffin (and weeping) is a woman. Her slumped body speaks of her utter despair. This woman is representative of the Catholic church. On top of the coffin is the Cardinal himself. He is wrapped in a blanket (he is dying at this point) and is being held up by the Virgin Mary, in a pieta post. All the sculptures are life sized and beautifully made.
One grusome little detail however is that the coffin now contains only his head. It was returned there (in the late 1900s) after it was removed from the rest of the body (which was disposed of in a not too Christian manner) and toyed around with for a while by the revolutionaries. They sure were angry with the Cardinal and are responsible for the utter destruction of the inside of the Chapell (including the destruction of an altar piece similar to that in St. Peter's in Rome) and several knicks and cracks on the sculpture itself. The only reason the piece is still there to be seen is because it was saved by a certain Monsieur Le Noir. He removed the cercophagus from the Chapell and scuttled it away to a safe location (he did the same with many other treasures in Paris). When the crowd lunged at the piece ready to destroy it he threw himself on top and yelled that he claimed the piece for the Republic. Apparently these were the magic words and the piece was spared.
The rest of the tour was equally astounding. Let me tell you that the Sorbonne (at least the part closed to the public) is quite the palace! I doubt that any other University building in the world can rival it's sheer beauty and magnificence. The halls were completely marble, the decorations were all in gold, the chandeliers were the sort of things I dream about, and the art -- oh the art! It was an absolute privilige to have visited those places. I managed to take about 100 pictures today and I will treasure them always.
I will close this entry by sharing with you some of the WWII related stories I heard on the tour today: In the last of the rooms we visited the guide pointed out two holes in a mural. Apparently, during WWII the Sorbonne students were also resistance fighters. They barricaded themselves in that room and shot at the Germans on the street below. They of course replied and those two bullets pierced the walls. They have been left there as a memory of what happened during those years.
This of course we all found fascinating -- when the guy saw that he continued: We then were told about the heroic acts of the Dean of the Sorbonne. Apparently when it became evident that Paris would fall, he ordered that all the gold pieces/decorations in the building be painted black. His orders were followed and when the Gestapo arrived they assumed the pieces were of plain metal and walked away empty handed.
Even more astounding was the next story: At the sametime that he ordered the gold be painted black he also assembled the files of all of the Jewish students and Profs. at the University. He proceeded to transport those to the cellar of the building and had them walled-in so the Nazis could never find them. He also called all those people to the University and asked them to change their names to French names. This was followed by him issuing them new student IDs in the new name. Thus ensuring that although in the rest of Paris the still had to wear the yellow star marked "Juden" at least in the Latin Quarter they could rip it off and be protected under false identities.
This place is so alive with history and really it's just begging to be heard . . .
Awed and amazed,
A Canadian in Paris
posted Friday, 1 July 2005