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17.4.60
[Hi?] Darling, and Mom + Dad too - HAPPY EASTER!!

Hope you don't mind another combined letter, but it's easier this way, and
I'm too sleepy to write separate ones tonight. Yesterday's late start was not
late enough I guess - the four hours sleep left its mark in my being good
and tired last night, and again tonight. But the hours spent in the
gallery of impressionist painting were really wonderfully rewarding, one of my
favorite experiences in Paris. Napoleon's tomb was much less interesting to me
(though more popular with tourists!) so that today I didn't even go
inside the Pantheon, where Rousseau, Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Gambetta, Zola
and other famous Frenchmen are buried.

I begain this morning by going to Notre Dame for the Easter mass. We
arrived at 9 am, and had no trouble finding seats about midway back, mine
right on the middle aisle, perfect for the processional. The pre-mass service
and processional began at 9:30 (the church was full by then, jammed to overflowing
by 10 am, the beginning of the mass itself.) It was a beautiful service, though
wtih the barrier of Latin and French it didn't seem exactly like Easter to me - I felt
a part of a church service, just not specifically of an Easter service. The
ceremony was very colorful, with the Bishop presiding (he's a cardinal of course), many
priests, altarboys and other participants, all dressed in appropriate and
decorative costumes. The organ was huge and the music majestic - there was
also a trumpet choir along with the vocal choir. The echoed sound of the
old traditional chants as the float out from the depths of the choir recess behind
the altar - these are sounds just not heard in American churches, but in
the large space of Notre Dame they were beautiful.

After the service I took the metro out near the Eifel Tower, spent a couple
of hours in the National Museum of Modern Art, looking at more paintings.
has become my "hobby" in these past few months. Then I walked on out to
the Eifel tower and through its gardened areas. As an attraction for
tourists I think it's overrated (except probably for the view available from
it's top); it's too bad the busy tourist can't just get out and walk around,
forget the famous monuments!

From the Eifel tower I took the metro again, stopped off at the
railroad station to change money again, then rode on to part way up Montmartre
hill. This is noted as the artists' section of Paris, has a splendid view of
the city from the top, is a very picturesque area. The streets are narrow,
and almost each house has original paintings on display for sale. In the
small squares, you find many artists sketching and painting the sidewalk
cafes, etc. I spent about 15 minutes watching one fellow work, and it
was quite interesting indeed. Then I just strolled through the streets, at
times amid crowds of other tourists, at times alone, soaking up the feel of Paris.

Right now I'm almost asleep on my elbow - and tomorrow we have the long
drive back to Stuttgart to think of. So goodnight all and lots + lots of love,
George