Opera Garnier

Today my roommate Kish and I walked over to the Opera Garnier, home field of the Phantom himself, and decided on a guided tour. 

The building has impressed me every time I've walked to my local Monoprix, which is literally 2 blocks down from the Opera house, or a protest. I had planned on seeing an actual opera there, but... well, my plans changed over the past few weeks and the opera that was showing has closed. A new show starts 5 days after my departure. 

The guided tour was good but not what expected. I thought we'd be taken backstage and, perhaps much more hopefully, into the canals below the opera house. We were taken to neither but got to sit in orchestra level seats, which I guess makes up for it. Also worth the extra price of the tour guide was her accent. 

"Oh-pe-ra Ow-si" 

I tried to get her to say it as much as possible but she didn't need my help -- it was in every sentence Martinequerrette-Claire (no joke -- maybe mispelled, but no joke) said. And it brought me infinite joy. It makes me happy because I know the way the French look at me when I speak to them: "Oh. He's American." And here is a perfect example of someone butchering my mother tongue but I'm not mean. I encourage.

Anyhow, the opera house was great. The ceiling, painted by Chagall, is brilliant and worth the entire ticket price, show or not. It is either loved or hated in Paris -- some think it doesn't suit the classically designed building, others think it brings some light into an otherwise dark and moody hall. 

I may not have seen a show there but the building was show enough, I guess.