Today we visited the 5th arrondissement, partially located in what is known as the Latin Quarter. This district houses the Sorbonne, the world's second oldest academic institution. A good friend of mine studied here for a year, and I was lucky enough to get visit her that spring break a year and a half ago. It was my first trip to Paris, and I've been in love with the city ever since. The campus is beautiful, and the location means that this district is filled with young, intelligent students.
The Sorbonne: Prominent Architectural Object
Across the street from this location of the Sorbonne we found a small park where several students were having lunch on park benches. As is true with many parks in Paris, there were several interesting sculptures. Below is a sculpture depicting Romulus and Remus, the fictional wolf-raised founders of Rome.
The Latin Quarter gets its name from the language students historically spoke at the Sorbonne. It is suitable, then, that this statue would be housed in this location.
Musée de Cluny: Tourist Attraction
On the other side of the park, the Musée de Cluny is located. This museum is entirely based on medieval Paris. The museum includes a large collection of medieval tapestries and sculpture, as well as manuscripts and furniture. The details of the building itself were fascinating. It has features of both gothic and renaissance architecture, and it is beautiful.
On the other side of the Musée de Cluny we found a garden with even more students eating lunch, and more fascinating architectural details. It didn't look like a bad place to have a bite to eat in between classes.
While we were in the 5th arrondissement, we also had to stop by the famous book shop Shakespeare and Co. The original
librairie was a hangout for Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, and Ezra Pound. Hemingway has been one of my favorite authors for years, and I love Joyce's
Dubliners, so I was very excited to visit the famous store.
Shakespeare and Co: Prominent Commercial Business
No photos are allowed inside, though I was tempted. The store is very quaint, although housing a large number of books, almost all of which are in English. I would highly recommend a visit!
Fountains like this one in front of Shakespeare and Co. can be found all over the city. Not only are they beautiful, but you can fill your water bottle with drinkable water! Look for the word "potable," which means that the water is safe to drink! Some fountains even have sparkling water!
After Shakespeare and Co. we made our way to the Pantheon. I would have been so excited if I knew what we would find!
The Pantheon: Tourist Attraction
We couldn't get the full effect of the Pantheon because it happens to be under construction. Regardless, the outside was stunning. As with the rest of Paris, details continue to constantly amaze me.
Inside we found a small model of the Pantheon. During the construction, the dome is not visible, but this gives an idea of how magnificent the building must be when it's not undergoing restoration.
In the middle of this gorgeous ceiling, St. Genevieve is carved. In 1755, King Louis XV ordered the construction of the beautiful church to honor her, the patron saint of Paris, after his prayers to recover from illness were answered.
The ornate ceilings were absolutely my favorite part, until we ventured down into the crypt!
The crypt was intriguing. There were gorgeous sculptures and spaces. It is solemn, but only because the crypt is the burial place for many great men and women.
I was so excited to find the graves of some of my favorite people in history. Above you can see where Jean Jacques Rousseau is buried. Also buried within the crypt are Louis Braille, Marie Curie, Émile Zola, Alexandre Dumas, and Soufflot, the Pantheon's architect. I was most excited to see the graves of Victor Hugo and Voltaire.
I had to take a photo with Voltaire.
It was hard to leave the Pantheon, but time to find a two star hotel.
Hotel de Carmes: Two Star Hotel
Hotel de Carmes costs 114 Euros for a double room per night, and looked nice! We stopped at a grocery store on the way back to the metro, and wrote down some prices for milk, eggs, and rib eye steak, which can be seen below along with other facts about the 5th arrondissement. All in all, I loved this district, and I will definitely be visiting the Latin Quarter again!
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_arrondissement_of_Paris
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musée_national_du_Moyen_Âge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare_and_Company_(bookstore)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panthéon,_Paris
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