As a continuation of my blog from Aug. 7, below are some additional observations from my recent trip to France. The emphasis of the trip was on architecture and landscaping, but of course my mind wandered to A&P in a humorous way.
Touring the Chateau Fontainebleau, I noticed this statue with 5 breasts. She is obviously well-suited for multiple births, but think of all the prolactin and oxytocin needed to get things going!
Among the modern art seen at the Centre Pompidou was this painting – a large skull with rope tied around it, displayed in a huge tiled box. I’m trying to understand the symbolism. Perhaps this is the skull of a former bar hopper who “tied one on” too many times?
In the gardens at Versailles, there was a special series of stone exhibits called “Anatomie.” One of the sculptures is shown here. What do you think? Is it a kidney with a ureter coming out? I guess this is why I majored in science and not in art.
In a bookstore window I saw this paperback. The title is translated as “Man Explained to Women.” I’m guessing it is more than just anatomy.
I’ll end by mentioning “chocolat” – French hot chocolate. In France, you can get chocolat at any bistro, restaurant or bar, any time night or day – which is awesome for chocoholics like myself. On my return to the USA, I was thrilled to learn of the exciting research from Harvard Medical School (http://neurology.org/content/early/2013/08/07/WNL.0b013e3182a351aa) documenting improved blood flow to the brain as a result of drinking hot chocolate (done with older subjects, but I’m certain it must work for everyone).
I lost count of how many cups of “chocolat” I had in one week (the blood flow in my brain was incredible), but I want to give a shout out to the location where I had the best chocolat in Paris. That would be the café in the Musee d’Orsay – a former train station that now houses an amazing collection of impressionist art. My new motto for Musee d’Orsay is “You’ll come for the art, but you’ll stay for the chocolat!”
Enjoy the rest of the summer and best wishes heading into the fall semester. Always keep your students smiling as they learn.