Museums aren't really my thing. I'm definitely game for a visit if there's a special exhibit or if I'm on vacation or if someone I know really wants to go, but they just don't excite me. That being said, there is one exception.
I go absolutely batty over open air museums! I haven't been to many, because I don't seek them out, but when I first visited Musée Rodin with my friend in 2004, it was love at first sight. Eight years later, I found myself back at the same museum with my hubby. It looked very different from what I remembered (not as covered in rainbows and unicorns... memories are funny that way), but I still had an amazing time. We purchased tickets only for the open air portion of the museum (the garden) - I don't remember that being possible, but there were some renovations when we were there so admission to the gardens only cost 2 euros. Rodin's bronze sculptures are displayed in various spaces in the garden. They are really quite incredible.
Detail of The Gates of Hell.
Among the arts, my passion is definitely photography. Perhaps that's the reason for my affinity towards open air museums. Photography and open air museums are a perfect pairing.
Plus I like to take lots of breaks to eat snackies. We purchased a couple giant Madeleines from Au Bon Marche, and we gobbled them up in the gardens.
The Thinker.
Hubs posing as The Thinker... hmmm... close, but no cigar! :)
I challenged Hubs to sketch The Thinker, after he scoffed at how there were so many people gathered around the sculpture, concentrating on carefully replicating its likeness in 2D. I pulled out my Moleskine and pen, and dangled them in front of him... and he accepted the challenge! I think he did a pretty good job. Certainly better than what I could have drawn in the same amount of time.
Our visit to a sculpture garden would not have been complete without a few requisite copycat photos.
And that was our incredibly fun trip to the Rodin Museum! :)
