Day 10 - Musee de Cluny & Final Day in Paris

Final day in Paris . . . woke up sad to know I would have to pack my bag that night. Fittingly, I suppose, today's weather reflected my somewhat somber mood, gray and raining at times. I wasn't really sure how I wanted to spend my final day but I knew the Musee de Cluny was within walking distance from my apartment and is considered one of the most underrated art museums in Paris. The drizzly weather made going to a museum an easy choice.

I took a couple of art history classes in college, I've probably been to more art museums than the average person and I always think I know what I will like but I have to say, I really, really enjoyed this museum, more than I would have ever imagined. Perhaps it's something that comes with age but the more art I see, the more I realize there's just something about art from the Middle Ages that really strikes a chord in me. I can't quite explain it in words (which is, perhaps, what great art is supposed to do: render one speechless). Medieval art is that which was created at the end of antiquity (roughly around 476) and the beginning of the Renaissance (around 1330) and, to over-simplify, it is art that is both secular and religious in nature. The Cluny has a wide variety of both, the most famous of which are The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. I was actually lucky visiting at this time of year as the tapestries had been on loan in Japan up until early November, I believe.

Musee Cluny

Musee Cluny

The Lady and the Unicorn - Musee Cluny

The Lady and the Unicorn - Musee Cluny

The Lady and the Unicorn - Musee Cluny

Musee Cluny

After The Cluny, I decided to wander towards Paris' covered shopping passages which were on my "If I Have Time" list and was also perfect for a rainy day. I'm not a big shopper but these passages were very quaint with independent shops and restaurants and a part of Paris I hadn't seen before.

Paris Passages

Paris Passages 

Hotel Chopin in Paris Passages

Another random item on my list was to photograph the Metro from Bir-Hakeim, one of the very few elevated Metro stations in Paris.

As an aside, I simply love the Metro. Perhaps it's because I live in Seattle and we are woefully behind the times when it comes to public transportation but every time I visit a city with a mass rapid transit system, I'm always in awe and wish we had something similar in Seattle. Although the Metro is old and rife with graffiti in places, I think it is one of the most romantic aspects of the city. More often than not, there are musicians playing in the halls of the stations and every now and then a person playing the accordion will get on the train and it is just oh . . . so . . . French. I'm sure I would tire of it as a local but as a visitor, I'm a sucker for it!

Bir-Hakeim

As the weather began to turn for the worse, I made my way back to St. Germain, had a quick dinner and then back to the apartment to pack my things. Au revoir, Paris!