Off to Munich tomorrow on the 7:30 TGV, and just in time as it's supposed to top 90 tomorrow here in Paris.
I can hear my mom saying "let's get to the photos", so...
We started at the Louvre, and hit the required stops. Because we had a Paris Museum pass, we bypassed most of the line and were inside in about 15 minutes. The need-to-buy-a-ticket line looked to be well over an hour long. Ugh.
Because it's so large, I just focused on the big-ticket items.
Mona Lisa, check.
and I somewhat agree - its impressive how the painter was able to create something so huge while maintaining scale and perspective.
I provided running a commentary full of biblical interpretation, as you might imagine. Bee said that I need to lead "Dave's tour of the Louvre", so here's a practice run:
(See painting below)
Venus de Milo, check.
So that was the Louvre. We saw some other stuff as well, but the place is HUGE and byzantine and unless you're an art historian it's pretty repetitive and very crowded.
After lunch, Bee had had enough of walking around the hot city, so we returned to the hotel for a short nap in the cool AC.
We're ready to move on to a cooler, greener, cleaner location with less walking.
Guy tied to the column (St Sebastien): I don't mind the pain.
Dude in red: Is he dead yet?
Dude in yellow: No! I got a dozen arrows in him, and I only have three left - I think I'll need more!
Moving on...
Renaissance sculptors had a thing for male genitalia. They like female chests as well, but nothing approaching the detail afforded males. I wonder: how many statues were ruined when a misplaced tap on the chisel caused the goods to break off?
So we crossed the river to the Musee d'Orsay, where I had never been but everyone says go here and skip the Louvre. Museum pass got us in in 5 minutes.
Orsay is a converted RR station, and has a beautiful vaulted glass ceiling
And many, many more.
We went straight to the Impressionist wing, and it's awesome.
Lots of Monets
And Reniors
And everyone else you've heard of, and it's all fantastic.
We also saw the post-impressionist wing with it's many Picassos and and Van Goghs, including the self portrait
Unfortunately, Starry Night is on loan to Russia :(
Equally Impressive is how close you can get to them - they are right in front of you with no barrier. By comparison, Mona Lisa is 10 feet away in a bulletproof glass case- you can barely see it. The closeness is a great bonus as many of these paintings need to be seen very close to appreciate the brush strokes.
No cynical commentary at Orsay - I was genuinely awestruck.
We then took the Metro to Denfert-Rocherau to grab lunch and see the Catacombs.
On arrival, there was no traffic. None.
Someone explained to us that the Paris cab drivers had blocked several major intersections throughout the city to protest Uber (the mobile phone cab service). I wondered aloud if the Neanderthals staged a protest when the Cro-Magnons arrived.
The Catacombs line was HOURS long in the hot sun, so we skipped it and got fruit, cheese, bread, and juice at a street market, then ate it in the shade at a small park, which was unusually peaceful and quiet due to the total absence of traffic noise.
Rejuvenated, we set out to find Gare de l'Est where our train departs tomorrow. It's an easy 10 minute walk.
Bee mailed postcards
Then on the walk back we found a fantastic hole-in-the-wall Chinese noodle shop. 12 seats and it was amazingly good.
We then stopped at a patisserie where Bee got a macaron
And everyone smokes (smells bad) and drops their butts on the ground (it's a mess).
Which is this little cookie. Not a macaroon (with 2 o's)
And, finally, as we get ready to leave, some commentary on Paris.
It's an amazing city, with lots to see and do, but it's also very dirty and crowded, and somewhat overwhelming.
Traffic is very congested, and no one follows any rules, which compounds the problem
And there are beggars and bums everywhere
I fully believe this poster which is on all the garbage trucks
You have an in-focus pic of Bee and van Gogh.
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