· In my attempt to catch up on the blog, I skipped Saturday in Paris and jumped straight to Sunday. So, now I'll backtrack a bit...On Saturday morning, Ashley and I jumped on the Metro to Invalides, which is near where Napoleon is buried. We walked down the streets of Paris towards the Musée d'Orsay before lunch. I had to see at least one art museum in France, right? Rain began to sprinkle down as we walked toward the museum along the Seine. The sun was still out bright and lit up the freshly-watered streets. We wandered past the French National Assembly.
The Musée d'Orsay is a converted rail station filled to overflowing with great works of art. After getting past the ticket part of the museum, the ceilings arch way up, with sunlight streaming in through the big skylights in the ceiling. Massive sculptures line the main hallway and floor upon floor of paintings and sculptures and models line the halls alongside the main hall. In a room tucked in behind the wall at the end of a main hall, there's a big square glass floor with the model of an entire city underfoot. Some of the paintings in the side rooms were so large that they covered entire walls of the museum. Unfortunately, 50 or more of the great Impressionistic paintings by Monet and Renior were in a special exhibit at the French Palace, so I did not get to see them. The beautiful swirls of rich paint on one of Van Gogh's self-portraits, the Rodin sculptures, and the rooms full of Degas paintings definitely made the trip worth it though.
With our one and only destination for the day accomplished, Ashley and I continued meandering around the Parisian streets across the Seine to the base of the Champs d'Elysees, at Place de la Concorde. The crazy intersection bustled with pedestrians, cyclists, taxis, cars and buses flowing in from every direction. Enormous fountains perched in the middle of the roundabout(s), with a gold-capped obelisk rising up nearby. Great stone and golden sculptures perched on bases, welcoming the crowds to join the madness. You could see down the tree-lined Champs d'Elysees to the left and the Jardin de Tuileries to the right. Metro signs arched over the steps to the station below. Seeking to escape the insane amount of traffic, Ashley and I hiked up some steps into the Jardin de Tuileries. The parks in Paris aren't covered in grass, but in sandy dirt. Meticulously planted lines of trees lined the park, providing a barrier between the park and the streets brimming with traffic just outside. A group of little boys were kicking up dirt as they played soccer just inside the fences. We walked further into the park, where we found a great open space with a giant pond and a fountain in the center. Green metal chairs filled with French people enjoying the now-sunny day ringed the pond. We sat and people watched for a while, marveling again at the fact that we were in Paris. Gelato at the edge of the pond capped the moment and we trekked further into the trees again. Filled baguettes eaten with a view of the Louvre and flowering gardens made for a perfect lunch. The rain started to set in soon after we walked to see the Louvre, so we booked it back to the apartment to wait out the weather.
After night fell, we left the flat again to explore more of Paris. We got freshly made crepes from a vendor (hot banana & nutelle...yum!). We located a Pizza Hut for reference for Jillian's future American food cravings and snagged some fresh fries (sorry...chips) from Mickey D's after the sugar overload of the crepes. The bizarrely crafted Centre Pompidou nearby was all lit up nearby. A short walk back to the apartment and a round of cardio to pump up the air mattress ended day 2 of the Paris experience.
J
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