Un week-end à Lyon - l'art et amis.

Hey friends,

I stayed in Lyon this weekend and it was pretty exciting! I had the opportunity of doing a couple things that I haven't done yet so that is really good.

Katie's family (aunt, uncle and cousin) came to visit her this week, so after school on friday we had lunch with them and then took a walk up to the Fourviere to show them the gorgeous view of Lyon. If I haven't talked about the Fourviere before, it is a 19th century cathedral located up on the hill "fourviere," and you can pretty much spot it from any point in the city. Here is a picture of it off the internet.



I had never been inside the cathedral, but this time around I got the chance and it was great! It is so beautiful inside! There are these two gold and colored mosaics on each side of the walls inside and they were so angelical. The ceiling vaults were so elaborate; I was speeechless. However, when I see then sistine chapel next week in Rome, I am reeeeaaally going to be speechless. I have to prepare myself, I might have a heart attack. lol Here is a picture of the inside of the cathedral.


Saturday I hung out with my friend Sam most of the day. We went to the Musee des Beaux-Arts, which made me really really happy! I had been wanting to go every weekend since I have been here and I am so happy I finally got someone to go with me that enjoys art too! =] There is an awesome exposition there right now featuring major artists from the 20th century! Picasso, Matisse, Bacon, Dufy AKA: movements such as Cubism and Fauvism and other avant-garde and post-world war II depictions. The exposition is amazing! They have over 180 works or something like that! I saw this one painting by Maria Helent Viera da Silva, called "Le Desastre" that I fell in love with. I found this picture of it online, so its hard to see and hard to appreciate. It is a war painting. And the lines that she created are so powerful. From a distance (my friend sam pointed this out) it looks like a shattered glass, and he is right!! You can just feel the sharp lines jabbing you and almost hear the cries from the crowd. LOOK:



Anyway.. I loved it. I need to go back though because we didn't have enough time to really look at the entire exhibit, let alone the whole museum. We then met Katie's family again at a "match au foot" - soccer game - but Lyon lost, so that was a bummer. I saw Clint Eastwood though. Apparetly he is into French football.

Today, Sunday, I hung out with Sam again and we went his friend Mathea's house and watched the UCLA/CAL football game on the internet. It was an unfortunate game for UCLA, but Sam goes to CAL and Mathea once went to Berekly as well, so it was a good game for them.

So tomorrow begins another week of school, but I am really excited because this Friday Meagan is coming!! It is so nice to have someone from home visit! I wish my family could!