June 26 2025

A Very Hot But Enjoyable Day with Cousins

Bonjour,

Our day began early with an outing to a lesser known museum in Paris, the Guimet. We have been here before, but today was a special exhibit on bronze statutes from Cambodia. Bernie served in that area years ago and this was especially of interest to him. Though he never saw Angkor Watt because it was under the control of the Khmer Rouge at the time, he did come close. Pierre and Laurie have traveled extensively in the area. The treasures we saw were prized excavations and truly amazing.

Angkor Wat is a Hindu-Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia. It measures 162.6 hectares or 401 acres. It was originally constructed in 1150 CE or AD as a Hindu temple and gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple. One of the largest religious structures in the world, it is regarded as the best example of Khmer architecture and a symbol of Cambodia, depicted as a part of the Cambodian national flag. The large lake in the area which Bernie has seen is Tonle Sap. (Wikipedia) This exhibition explores for the very first time the role of the king who commissioned major bronze castings from the Angkorian period to modern day, and reveals how art and power have remained consistently entwined. There was not much English in the commentary so enjoy the photos.

We had lunch at one of our favorite spots, Sorza on Ile St. Louis. It is air conditioned and always has realizable, tasty food. And we know Esther, the proprietor.

Pierre had the plat du jour which was veal and those wonderful mashed potatoes.

The finale to our day was a delightful meal at the starred restaurant in La Pavillon de la Reine where Pierre and Laurie stay. The food is always too pretty to eat!! There was a huge storm which moved us quickly inside and cooled down the temps.