After Saint Chapelle, Gina and I took the metro to the Opera Bastille to watch a performance of "Louise", which is a reinterpretation of La Traviata. We got there a little early, so we went walking around the Bastille neighborhood for a while we waited for the rest.The opera is housed in a modern structure, built circa late 80's I would say, and it totally looks it.
The inside is not much better. It's a little bit of a mess, with stairs that only go up one flight leaving you stranded, mini-levels on each floor, and no artwork or decorations on the walls save for one lone Nikki de St. Phalle sculpture, which is so colorful and lively it looks like it wandered in from somewhere actually fun and couldn't get back out.
The opera itself was a mixed bag. The sets were amazing, the actual piece not. I, because I thrive on consistency, kept falling asleep. The first act was two hours, so we left during the intermission and left Louise to her fate (which, with this being an opera, I assume was death).
The best part was that there were nuns sitting next to us. For a country whose citizens insist they're not interested in religion, they're everywhere. I am working on a theory that there is a nun in every building and place of interest in Paris. You probably get a nun toy in your happy meal at McDonald's.
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