Today after our Spartan breakfast of bread, coffee and fruit we traveled to the Musee d'Orsay. We learned during dinner the other evening that we should say Orsay not d'Orsay, which makes sense but we had never considered it. Any way our entrance into the RER was far less entertaining today. Friend two and I are feeling quite accomplished as we insert out tickets and push through the stiles.
The museum was as stunning as the last time I saw it but most of the Monet paintings are at the Grand Palais for the Monet exhibit there. We will go there tomorrow. The van gogh and gaugain paintings were all on the lower floor because the upper floor is being redone. I think this museum is in a constant state of remodel. Last year large portions were closed and again this year. But disappointingly both years the photography galleries were closed. I will simply have to come again. Oh darn!
I walked through the furniture galleries and thought of N. The wood work was stunning -- I got some great ideas for our bedroom . I wonder if I can talk N into inlaid and carved wood--hmm.
We ate in the restaurant at the Orsay. (see what a quick study I am). Oinion soup for me. It was delicious!
A quick ride on the RER and we were at the Luexembourg gardens, but before we walked through them we went to St. Etienne Church. Wonderfully un crowded we wandered through the soaring aisles and enjoyed the play of light through the stained glass.
Right beside the church is the Pantheon in which many famous people are buried. We did not go in preferring the stroll around it. To one side of the Pantheon was the law school of the university of Paris. We walked into the couryard of this building that was started in the 1700s. It was all yellow stone and the center was open to the sky. -- hey my law school had a rotunda too! Not quite the same I have to admit
On the way down the hill to the gardens we noticed that the various book stores had lots of law books. Interestingly not one of us felt the urge to buy one.
Back to the gardens. They were first laid out by Katherine de Medici. There are a number of large fountains and shaded promenades. Tennis courts and children play yards dot the space as well. If I hadn't seen thousands of folk sitting in the cafes I would have said that all of Paris was sunning in the Gardens. I think I forgot to mention that the days is clear and crisp and really just perfect.
We walked across the gardens to the replica of our Statue of Liberty she is much smaller than our Lady Liberty but still quite lovely.
Now on to St Suplice. A lovely church known for its Delacroix painting. It was lovely but could use a good cleaning. All of these churches need someone to give them a good dusting. It is too bad to see these amazing pulpits and other treasures half obscured by dust.
Friend one and I hopped on a bus to back toward the hotel. When we got off we decided that we needed a cup of tea and something to hold us to dinner. We sat down at Chez Francis and had tea and a light sandwich. (we shared the sandwich--lest someone think that we were just eating our way through Paris. While we sat there about 50 gendarmes in full riot gear marched up. Some of them chased off a crowd of very loud men and then the police ringed the street in front of us. They did not seem too worried about everyone sitting at the cafe, but they were certainly dressed for trouble. When we walked on toward our hotel we walked past one of the big hotels, I forgot the name, and there were lots of men in black suits standing around talking into their shoulders with coils of wire growing out of their ears. I hope I can find out what it all was about.
Last night after I posted we had a light dinner and then went to a tea room on the Champs Eleyses called LaDurer. We had tea and dessert in the open air. The place is famous for it's macaroons I understand but it could be known for it's lemon tart. Oh My, sweet and tart and wonderful.
As I read over all of this I realize that we really are eating our way through Paris and tonight we are having dinner on the Seine on one of the dinner cruises. Eating and sightseeing! Should be fun. I will let you know.
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