Opera

by Danielle

Having houseguests was a reminder that there is plenty of sightseeing I have yet to do in Paris. Today I decided to get to it. Rachel and I visited the Opera Garnier, a stunner of an opera house completed in 1875. I had originally planned to see a dance or opera there, but then realized I could take a self guided tour for a fraction of the price. 4 euros (with pole-emploi reduction), instead of 40-200 euros for a performance. 

It’s lavishly decorated in the Beaux Arts style, with ornate statuary, marble, freizes, gold leaf, velvet, bronze and so on. There are grand halls and also intimate corridors. I wish my photos had turned out but unfortunately the lighting was very dim, probably to protect the artwork.  

We were able to go into private “box seating” and look into the theatre which is often inaccessible during the day due to rehersals. What a surprise, on the ceiling around the central chandelier was a very joyful Marc Chagall painting. On one hand I liked it, but also felt it was more than a little out of place given the baroque style of all the other paintings on display (which lean toward the nymph-and-cherub variety). I later read that the Chagall caused a big controversey when it was installed in 1964 for that very reason. Do I get points for that or something?

If the weather had been nicer we would have drifted over towards Place Vendome, a very swanky area which houses some of Paris’ most luxurious hotels and jewelry stores. But alas it was pouring rain so we beat a hasty retreat towards home.

A sidenote- I hate to go on about medical issues but I can’t help but be shocked and delighted at the prices of services and I suspect my American friends might find it interesting… This afternoon I had xrays (dental and sinus) for 30 euros, and a teeth cleaning (lighting fast and lightning painful) for 8 euros. I’m starting to think up what services I might need before the french government changes their minds about my coverage!