These boots are made for walking.

And today is the day I wish I had more than one set of footwear. While my hiking boots were admirable for walking the Camino, they were absolutely useless for standing in line and walking around an art gallery where there was much pausing, and standing still.  The boots really are made for walking!

The Musee d'Orsay is a re-purposed train station converted to an art museum. The large central gallery houses the statues, the side  galleries house the paintings. The big clocks set in the glass window remind me of the movie Hugo.  It features 19th-century French art culminating in the impressionist era. It is one of my favorite periods of French art, and I looked forward to today's visit.

First, the crowds.  I think from my time in Spain, I am still somewhat noise averse, and simply the shouting, yelling, and children got to me fairly quickly.  Then the guy in front of me in the line was smoking a rather obnoxious pipe. I tried to stay up wind of him as much as possible but it stank, and when he knocked it out lettiing the remnants fall to the ground I noticed other people in the line pointing and whispering. 

And then once we were in the museum, one of the visiting exhibits was called Splendour and Misery, exploring the life of prostitution in France in the 19th century through art, photography, and literature.  And although the taking of photographs is permitted in the rest of the museum, it was clearly marked at the entrance and several times before the first exhibit that photography was not allowed in this particular exhibition. Nevertheless the attendants had to repeatedly ask for people to put their cameras down and refrain from taking photographs.  And though was no age restriction on the exhibit itself, certain portions were curtained off to those who are 18 years of age are over which included paintings and drawings, photography, film, and explicit language. And just so you know, it was full frontal, a variety of sexual acts explicitly depicted, including oral, same-sex, and full penetration. I am glad that I wasn't one of the people bringing 10 or 11-year-old children, because I don't think they would be mature enough to have the conversation about prostitution.  It's one of those times where I think the sign should've said "this exhibit contains mature subject matter.  Viewer discretion is advised!"  But it was pretty good exhibit.

I walked over to Notre Dame for a concert in the evening of Bach cantatas accompanied by organ and a Mendelssohn work (motets Op. 69) that I didn't know. Unfortunately this was one of those times where the programs seemed to be hidden from view; i'm not quite sure what I listened to, and the acoustics of that building do not suit baroque choral music particularly well, but it was lovely!

Today's Music:  Nunc Dimittus (Mendelssohn Opus 69, 1)

Today's Paces:  13,500 estimated 'cause my phone died

Tomorrow's prayer intentions:  all the people to whom I will be returning home.