The Pantheon and Luxembourg Gardens

Tom had been wanting a repeat trip to the Pantheon since our last trip three years ago.  We went today and I'm so glad we did.

We even paid the 2 extra euros to take the tour up to the dome.  In 507, after his conversion to Christainity, King Clovis founded a first basilica to house his tomb and that of his wife, Clotilde.
In 1791 after major renovations the Pantheon was changed from a church to a mausoleum for the interment of great Frenchmen.  On April 4, 1791, Mirabeau, former president of the National Constituent Assembly was the first person interred here.

Today we got to see Foucault's pendulum.  When we were here three years ago the pendulum had been removed for repairs to the dome.  In 1851, scientist Leon Foucault got permission from prince-president Louis Napoleon Bonaparte to use the Pantheon dome to install a pendulum to show that the Earth revolves around itself.  He attached a 67 meter (220 ft) wire to the top of the dome with a brass ball filled with lead suspended at the lower end.
By making the pendulum swing manually at 10 o'clock (referring to the graduated marks on the dial) the pendulum moves about 11degrees in one hour compared to the dial.  It appears the pendulum is
moving but it is not.  It is oscillating in the same plane.  What's actually happening is that it's the
Earth and consequently the graduated dials that have changed position.  A lot of science here!

1:30 pm and time for the dome tour.  There are 206 steps up to the top of the dome, we took rests on the way up.

The views were spectacular at every level.  At the top it was a 360 degree view, the whole city of Paris laid out before us.

After the dome we went the direct opposite to the lower level and the crypt.  This is where so many famous writers, scientists and noted French citizens are interred. Among them are:
                                                        

                                                                    ROUSSEAU

VOLTAIRE 

VICTOR HUGO and ALEXANDRE DUMAS

EMILE ZOLA

PIERRE and MARIE CURIE

LOUIS BRAILLE

And many others!

Next , we stopped for a stroll through the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens, always a favorite of locals and tourists alike.

It was fun to watch the children push their sailboats across the fountain.

It's a fantastic day and the people are out enjoying the sunshine and warmth.

The Fitbit says we did 11,087 steps today!