Today, Tired Reader, was a much less busy day than yesterday in Paris-Rouen-Paris. Today, M & I planned to “eat brunch, go to the d’Orsay, and putz around…” & that’s pretty much what we did.
Here’s the link to the other pictures – I have added a caption to help in places. I apologize that the pics at the d’Orsay aren’t better (go online and see them if you want better), but it was crowded, and, as you can see, the lighting wasn’t always conducive. https://picasaweb.google.com/105397618648885302074/Paris2015?authkey=Gv1sRgCO2M3uaK14fqyQE
BTW, faithful Reader, today is Bob Hope’s birthday. To celebrate, we watched this video version of Road to Morocco before breakfast (you may recognize it from last summer’s “road show.” Psyched us up. I’m the good-looking one on the back. :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_w3UG6C_Mo
We started the day with an object lesson: J texted that “I am down in the breakfast room, having free breakfast, and it’s excellent.” We questioned the “free” part but she insisted, so we all ended up there around 10, having breakfast. It was a typical French full buffet breakfast – scrambled and hard boiled eggs, cold ham, cold salami, six kinds of fruit, two kinds of juices, croissants, chocolate croissants, baguettes, jam, and lots of coffee. The wait staff didn’t take M or my room number…
When I went to check out, I was asked if I had breakfast. I said we both did and he got my card and charged me 34Euros! Whoops. The same happened, of course, to several students.
J was amazed. M and I weren’t. The students, eh…it cut into their alcohol budget for the day.
We took a taxi to the d’Orsay, whipping past the front of Notre Dame, and across the river onto the road right along the river on the Left Bank. Scenic. We waited in line only about 10 minutes to get into the d’Orsay (for the uninitiated, it houses the French national collection of their art from around 1865 till the early 20th century; in other words, the Impressionists. One student asked if they had Monets. Uh huh, like 100 of them – notably four from the series on the west face of Rouen Cathedral, where we were yesterday [without Monet’s light]). M repeated often (remember, he’s famous for NOT exaggerating) “this is my favorite museum in all the world.”
We agreed to split up to do our own things and M asked when to meet back. I said 90 minutes and he said “not long enough.” I said, “funny, I stretched it because it’s your favorite museum in the world – I was going to say an hour.” He turned as white as he was Friday morning! :) We ended up with 2 hours. I was pooped after the 90 minutes, having taken many many pictures and journeying to the 5th floor (there’s an escalator, but still). You can look at the pictures via the link – there’s none I think stands out as amazingly good (in terms of my photo). Though I have grown on this trip to appreciate Sisely more.
We then had lunch, though we weren’t sure we shouldn’t eat dinner near the hotel/rail station before leaving Paris (the food is better there than London). As you can see, J & M had plenty in the mussels marinade. J was talking about having had 5 kinds of muscles, to which I said “what abs, pects, triceps…” I was waved off. Genius is rarely appreciated by its own generation.
We then walked across the Seine (some pictures) and into the crowd at the Louvre. We ran into 3 of our students doing this, which M deemed “too small a world” and I deemed a not unlikely coinkydink, and then wondered off through the Tuilieries. As is it was getting late to get too inventive and yours truly admitted to being leg weary and tired, we got a taxi at the Place de Concord (famous for its obelisk built by Napolean – who else? – to honor a victory in Egypt) & also J & I had an ice cream. Mine was so-so chocolate, but she ordered “peche” (peach, the sign said) and got this:
She said (here comes the jewel du jour): my mind says no, but, surprisingly, my mouth says yes yes. I guess it DID taste like peaches. Or she was saying something else I don’t get.
To the students’ credit, they were all at the rail terminal at around the right time, and we got onto the train easily enough. No glitches this time.
M & I have to pack ALL our stuff tonight as J’s family comes in tomorrow morning, missing us as we go out to the French Riviera. Tomorrow should be even more interesting than the last two days, given we have a car and are going someplace we’ve never been before (I guess like Rouen yesterday). We are staying on the Mediterranean in Antibes tomorrow might. Scenic porn expected. I am taking bathing suit – I have a tradition of getting wet in cold water photos to continue.
With that, dear Reader, I bid you adieu & good night – confused as to where I am or where you are. #
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