Journées du Patrimoine, Paris; Part II

Les Journées Européennes du Patrimoine

Sunday was overcast and cool and therefore a perfect day to visit another grand building, monument or site during the two-day Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, or European Heritage days in Paris. Having waited in line to visit other wonderful sites on Saturday, it seemed easy to brave the crowds and the long lines to visit at other popular sites.

Le Palais Royal

The first noted residence of what would later become Le Palais Royal situated near the Louvre, was Cardinal Richelieu in 1624. This grand building is the site of many famous residents ever since. Now the home of the Minister of Culture and Communications, Le Palais Royal opens it's doors to the people of France for two days per year. The many wonderful rooms blended old French traditions and new modern paintings and sculptures.

The Offices of the Palais Royal

Several of the conference rooms were dedicated to the Department of Finance and libraries that were certainly less elaborate and more functional. Most of the offices and desks were clean of papers and books but I had to laugh at a large office of workers with paper, books and references stacked everywhere. Certainly the French bureaucracy lives as it does in every government.