Life, Love and the Pursuit of Design

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Angel and the Sunshine 02 -by Hevan

Angel and the Sunshine 02, originally uploaded by SoulBlend.

From Paris

Good Morning Angel -by Hevan

Good Morning Angel, originally uploaded by SoulBlend.

Montparnasse Cemetery (French: Cimetière du Montparnasse) is a famous cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, part of the city's 14th arrondissement.

Created from three farms in 1824, the cemetery at Montparnasse was originally known as Le Cimetière du Sud. Cemeteries had been banned from Paris since the closure, owing to health concerns, of the Cimetière des Innocents in 1786. Several new cemeteries outside the precincts of the capital replaced all the internal Parisian ones in the early 19th century: Montmartre Cemetery in the north, Père Lachaise Cemetery in the east, and Montparnasse Cemetery in the south. At the heart of the city, and today sitting in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, is Passy Cemetery.

Montparnasse Cemetery is the eternal home of many of France's intellectual and artistic elite as well as publishers and others who promoted the works of authors and artists. There are also monuments to police and firefighters killed in the line of duty in the city of Paris.

Because of the many notable people buried there, it is a highly popular tourist attraction.

(from the Wikipedia entry: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montparnasse_Cemet ery)

Jardin du Carrousel -By Hevan

IMG_7300, originally uploaded by SoulBlend.

Jardin du Carrousel is the official name for the space around the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, built to celebrate Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz (a carrousel is a horse parade). Jacques Wirtz was landscape architect for the space around the arch. It looks entirely appropriate on plan but is less successful on the ground. Strips of stone paving radiate from the triumphal arch. Westward, they meet grass and become clumpy hedges. The best feature of the scheme is the 18 statues by Aristide Maillol (1861-1944) placed between the hedges; the problem with the paving is that the surrounding gravel makes it always chalk-smeared; the problem with the hedges is their poor maintenance and relative lack of dignity.

(from Garden Visit: www.gardenvisit.com/garden/carrousel_gar den_jardin_du_car...

Post-Prayer Meal - By Hevan

Post-Prayer Meal, originally uploaded by SoulBlend.

Although non-Muslims are forbidden to enter the prayer hall, the Grande Mosque does make itself open to tourists and visitors. What better way to introduce and enlighten them than to offer up a 3-course meal? After finishing my Asr salaat, and snapping a few more photos, I wandered over to the dining area and enjoyed a delicious plate of roasted chicken and couscous followed by one of the best pots of mint tea I have ever had.

A truly satisfying experience - both spiritual and nourishing.

Mosaic- By Hevan

Mosaic, originally uploaded by SoulBlend.

Assalam O Alaikum.

As I researched my trip to Paris, I came across one of the biggest mosques in Europe - the Paris Mosque. I had never been to a mosque in a foreign country and was so accustomed to praying in the mosques in the U.S. so this was going to be an interesting experience. I was also curious as to how I would interact with the Muslims in the mosque once I got there. Was there a different way they prayed? How was I supposed to greet them - Bonjour, first then Salaam next? Or was it the other way around?

Unsurprisingly, I didn't have anything to worry about once I got there. I had arrived just in time for Asr salaat and there were many people filing in for prayer (for a Tuesday afternoon, there were as a good crowd.)

Afterwards, I roamed the courtyards and explored this beautiful mosque trying to soak up as much of it as I could. I never thought I would feel so at-peace after praying in a foreign country. I guess it really doesn't matter where you are. It really just comes down to what you believe in and how deep that belief is inside you.

(If you're interested to learn more about the mosque, please visit their website: www.mosquee-de-paris.org/)