PANTHEON . . Dedicated to the patron saint of Paris, St. Geniveve, the Pantheon came as a complete surprise to me. I'd heard of it but never visited before. It was like a small cathedral with a who's who list of French history buried there. That list included Voltaire, Rousseau, Louis Braille, the Curies, Alexander Dumas and Victor Hugo. I did notice that nobody who painted appeared to make the list of French heroes. So, there was no Monet, Manet, Cezanne, Renoir - or even Van Gogh or Picasso who are also buried in France. I did walk away with a reminder. No matter how great you are or what you achieve, you all have to meet your maker some time. Make the most of the time you are given.

MARTIN