Kansan to Parisian: Père Lachaise, Paris at Night, and Monet's Gardens

This past week has been a whirlwind between my class, university sponsored cultural programs, and my wanderlust for the city of light. Ever wonder why Paris is called the city of light? The locals say its because of the period of Enlightenment and the brilliance that took place during that time and the innovation that has continued through academia. Others say its because the city never sleeps and thus, there is always a light on somewhere in the glowing city.

My roommate and I decided to brave the Metro and head to Père Lachaise cemetery to pay a visit to those who have gone before us. Let me tell you, that cemetery was not built for those who are directionally challenged. Sadly, my roommate and I only managed to find the grave of Oscar Wilde after having searched for Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, and others. We did, however, capture some great photos since it was a beautiful day. There is something calming about Père Lachaise. As not many tourists make the journey to this area, there are few people walking around inside. Some of the graves and monuments date back to the mid 1800s while others are as recent as the day we were there. If only the trees could talk and tells us the stories that are contained within the walls of the cemetery. I would love to know the stories behind each of the graves.

This week, my friends and I decided to walk around at night and see Shakespeare and Company, Notre Dame, and the surrounding area at night. In the evening, there are fewer tourists in the streets so we were able to get into the small building that is Shakespeare and Co. as well as visit Notre Dame without a million people around us. It's incredible to think that writers and Parisians of the past would take a moment out of the day to read and work on books in the upstairs of Shakespeare and Co. Granted, this building that is by Notre Dame was rebuilt years ago after the original building was torn down. To me, Notre Dame is almost more beautiful from the back because you can see the architectural markers that make this church so notable, called flying buttresses, much more clearly. Notre Dame is also known as "Point Zero" because every distance in Paris is measured from Notre Dame.

My university offers cultural programs that allow the students to experience things that they may not have been able to do otherwise. This weekend, I finally crossed something off my bucket list of years ago. I got to cross the bridges, walk around in the gardens, and see the water lilies that the famous painter, Claude Monet, painted years ago. His gardens are the most magnificent gardens that I have ever seen. They are impeccably taken care of and the pond with the lilies is immaculate. Each turn you take, you can imagine Monet sitting with his easel capturing the image in paint. His house was beautiful to see as well. Monet collected many other impressionist painter's works and some of it is displayed in his house and in the impressionist museum that is down the road from his gardens.

On the cultural excursion, we also stopped at a village called Auvers-sur-Oise. This village is home to the final resting place of Vincent van Gogh and home to his final residence. The L'Auberge Ravoux hold the last room that Vincent van Gogh rented before he passed away in his bed in the Auberge. On the excursion, we visited his room, the field where he was either killed or shot himself, and his grave where he is buried beside his brother, Theo. During his 70 days in the town, he painted more than 80 canvases. This was the most productive period of his artistic career. The reason for his death is unknown and is debated in this town. Some villagers say that young boys in the town accidentally shot him thinking that their pistol was fake while others claim that he shot himself. Either way, van Gogh is remembered for his paintings of the town and for his simple lifestyle that he lead while living in Auvers-sur-Oise.