Burdigala

I just started classes today (I just had Italian today and I really enjoyed the class even though it was three hours long...I hope I like my French lit classes too)... so I won't be having classes on Mondays and thus I can do whatever I please on Mondays: yesterday I went to a museum, walked around the city center a bit and then headed to Virgin Records to look through the tourism books (I'm beyond excited for going to Paris, Rome and Madrid during All Saint's Week at the end of next month!)...

This here is the golden gate to the Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des Beaux Arts)... with the spires of the St. André Cathedral in the background.

I don't remember who painted this and have no clue who this woman is... I don't even think I bothered to check more than two artists' names while I was in the Museum of Fine Arts yesterday... but this portrait really captivated my attention because I felt that she was expressing a stoic yet pleasureful moment of anguish and I don't think I've ever seen that painted or photographed (the loose top, open mouth and her position is what makes me think that she's enjoying her moment)... she's been keeping everything in control or at least pretending to (symbolized by holding her hands together) yet deep down inside she's totally lost it and so this is a rare glimpse of her secret agony.

I took this picture of the St. André Cathedral from the inside of the city hall (Hôtel de Ville) when I was wandering around the city center.

Then I walked back home from Place Gambetta (where the Virgin Records store is)... It's about a 20 minute walk from the city center to my French home...

Burdigala is the Latin name for Bordeaux.