Off the beaten track

We were lucky to be in Paris on the 1st Sunday of the month because that is when many museums and attractions are free to the public.

We had high hopes to re-visit some favorite places (D'Orsay Museum, Notre Dame tower, L'Orangerie), but the lines were very long and we didn't feel like waiting.  But all was not lost!  We traveled quite a distance to the very outskirts of the south-west corner of the city to the Musee Rodin Meudon, not to be confused with the Musee Rodin located in the city near Les Invalides.  And what a treasure!

Built on the heights of Meudon (the neighborhood), the Villa des Brillants is a modest-looking Louis XIII-style house in brick and stone, which Auguste Rodin purchased in 1895.  Although he continued to go to his Parisian studios every day, his most essential creative work was done in Meudon.


Rodin's dining room

In the house was this assortment of plaster casts

Adjacent to the first room, was a solarium with loads of light that Rodin used as a studio

 View of house and solarium


Down from the house, was a huge separate building that held many casts of Rodin's works



The grounds were beautiful, and had a few statues.

The Thinker





After leaving this pretty museum, we rode the train back to Paris and walked along the Seine.

 Pretty fall sky...

 ...and beautiful Notre Dame

And wouldn't you know, there is the quintessential boulangerie/patisserie one block from Place de Republique, Aux Peches Normands.


Is your mouth watering yet?

 The breads...

Another day we took the metro to the neighborhood of Les Lilas, an area in the eastern suburbs about 5 1/2 kilometers from the center of Paris.  We discovered charming alleyways along the Rue Mouzaia.



From there we walked to one of our favorite places, Parc Buttes Chamont, the 5th biggest park in Paris opened in 1867 and located in the northeastern part of Paris.

Even on this cold, fall day, there were many people enjoying this beautiful and hilly park.  The most famous feature of the park is the Temple de la Sibylle perched at the top of a cliff fifty meters above the waters of the artificial lake.  

 Temple de la Sibylle

 View of Sacre Coeur from the Temple

Rushing waterfall in the park

Grotto

 Lake 

 Statue of Pan

 Pansy in the park that looked like a serious man with a mustache












The Villa des Brillants

© Musée Rodin, Jean de Calan

Comments

  1. Miri and LarryNovember 9, 2017 at 9:48 PM

    Who knew there was another Rodin Museum. You leave no stone unturned. Your neighbourhood bakery looks delectable. Enjoy. We also love the Parc de Buttes Chamont.

    ReplyDelete

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