Musee de Cluny: Art of the Middle Ages

 Bon jour, mes amies,

You will be relieved to know that my Covid test situation has been sorted.  My birthdate was entered incorrectly and apparently was easy to fix.  The lovely young woman from the pharmacie even printed out my negative test results.  I should be good to go.

The Musee de Cluny is one of my favorites in Paris, so I was disappointed to learn on arrival that it was closed.  But it has now reopened, and I went for a visit after I dealt with the pharmacie and visited my bakery.  I knew I did not have to rush back for the stage because it's starting a bit later.

I had to cross the Seine and walk a bit up hill, but it was easy to find.  I got there a little after opening and had to wait in line, but once inside the place did not seem crowded.  The museum is in the heart of the Latin Quarter, not far from the Sorbonne.  The site incorporates an old Roman bath, which in the Middle Ages was adapted into a monastery.  Unfortunately the lovely herb garden was closed, but the rest of the museum was definitely worth the visit.

In my Art History teaching days, I developed a taste for Late Medieval Art, and Cluny has some outstanding examples in a variety of media.  You can also find some extremely fine works from the Early and High Middle Ages.  The ivory carvings and enamel work are amazing--some so small and detailed.  Also on exhibit is some statuary salvaged from various churches, including Notre Dame de Paris.

The Late Medieval Art is the most spectacular in my view.  I saw polychrome sculptures, energetic, action packed wood carvings. There were some wonderfully preserved ceramics, and also vivid paintings and intricate tapestries.  Of course, what people come to see is the Lady and the Unicorn, an allegory of the five senses in an exquisite tapestry.  Ok, the lion sometimes looks like a monkey, and no one knows what the little dogs are for, but it's lovely.

I took an indirect route home so I could wander down those narrow twisty streets I like so well.  But it is hot today, so I sought the shady sides of streets and was glad to get back to my room and a big glass of water.

My reflections on this trip are as follows:  I'm glad I came.  This has not been the best trip ever, but I have come back to Europe and am getting my travel habits back, and I got a lot of good walking in.  It has done me personally a world of good to go out every day and be in the world.  Yes, I wore my mask and drank green tea, so I took precautions when the French and most tourists seem to believe the Pandemic is over (hint, it's not), but I enjoyed myself and gained back my confidence.

Now I need to figure out my packing.  I won't say A demain, but if I get a chance to post from Charles De Gaulle, I will.

Merci pour votre participation. Au Revoir!