Well, we got caught in the rain with no umbrellas on Tuesday so we were a bit more prepared when we went out today! Most of us took the rain in stride but J was not thrilled...
It didn't last long anyway and we continued on our journey to the Musee de l'Orangerie to see some beautiful impressionist paintings, including Monet's Water Lillies. They were unbelievable...
The paintings spanned the walls of the museum and the lighting was perfect--natural light coming in from a glass ceiling but buffered by a mesh covering that created a perfect soft light. The rest of the collection of this small museum was magnificent and not as overwhelming as the Louvre. It includes paintings by Renoir, Cezanne, Picasso and many more...
When we left the museum, the rain cleared up and we walked through the nearby Jardin des Tuileries...
And I would love to just import this section of the garden into our garden back home!
The picture does it no justice but it was incredibly beautiful... Oh and here's another Napoleon-commissioned arch in the city...
Next we wandered through the Carousel de Louvre and had lunch (not at the McDonald's that caused such an uproar years ago!) and made a stop at several shops including this chocolate store where we received free samples (yay!)...
And although the boys already had their own sweet crepes, I still needed to get one before we leave for Amsterdam tomorrow so we stopped and had espresso and crepes at a lovely cafe in Saint Germain des Pres...
Also an interesting and gruesome fact: this church's courtyard was the site of many beheadings during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror...
When we travel, I always like to think about some of my observations particularly comparing the culture/country we are visiting with our own. Here are a few things I've thought about during our time in Paris...
1. Pharmacies are simply that--they don't serve food, especially junk food.
2. Food is just better here; higher quality, tastier, fresher.
3. Parisians are very nice and helpful, contrary to stereotypes.
4. You can spot American tourists a mile away (ourselves included).
5. I don't have many pet peeves in life but I have discovered one: people who have their pictures taken (or take selfies) in front of great works of art. I'm all for having your picture taken in front of landmarks like the Eiffel Tower but really, you need to pose for a picture in front of the Mona Lisa or the Water Lilies? You are not the work of art people!
6. Parisians have amazing style!
We are back resting at the hotel now for another venture out this afternoon/evening. Then it is on to Amsterdam tomorrow morning!
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