Saturday, April 28
Preparing for the next day's adventures... On Jay's recommendation, the high point of our day was a wonderful meal at Willi's Wine Bar, near the Palais Royal, where the ragout d'agneau (lamb) and poitrine de caille (quail) were especially tasty. After some lovely desserts and coffee, we walked and shopped our way back, passing through the glassed-over Galerie Vero-Dodat, along the edge of Les Halles, past the Pompidou Center and Hotel de Ville, all the way to the apartment. We trust all that walking balanced out any excess calories, though the meal was well worth it regardless.
posted by Judy at 1:42 PM|link
Friday, April 27
Hooray, hooray - today we made it to the Musee D'Orsay. Though the wait threatened to be long, the line moved quickly and we were inside within half an hour. Besides admiring my favorite Monets, the series of Cathedrals at Rouen, we also discovered a whole gallery of decorative arts including an extensive collection of Thonet furniture, chairs and a complete bedroom set by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and even a door from Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin Martin House in Buffalo. Do you suppose Tam knew where it had disappeared to? Of course, by now you know who are standing and admiring the view through the museum's clock face toward the Louvre.
posted by Judy at 1:20 PM|link
Thursday, April 26
End of the day photos taken atop the Samaritaine viewing deck on our way back from the Louvre. Our day started with a cab ride to the Musee D'Orsay where there were absolutely no lines to get in. And how pleased we were until we noticed the sign, museum closed due to a staff strike. Undeterred, we walked across the Pont Royal to the Louvre where we discovered our favorite thing, a true bargain. The Louvre staff was also on strike, but instead of being closed, it was open and free for the day. Most of our time was spent admiring the roomful of Rubens paintings in the Richelieu wing, followed by a leisurely lunch in the Cafe Richelieu. From there we walked home, surveying all the garden shops along the way and even purchasing some mache seeds for French lettuce memories when we get back.
posted by Judy at 2:56 PM|link
Oops! This post was delayed due to technical difficulties, mainly caused by a fierce game of Scrabble and a bottle of Saumur Blanc. Just a short walk from the apartment, we spent the day at the Cluny Museum, amazed by the immense and intricate Unicorn tapestries, wondering how many people were involved and how they were actually made. More research is required since our guidebooks didn't explain. Besides the famous tapestry collection, the museum also had displays of the excavation of the original Roman baths beneath it, including the 'frigidarium' which was just as cold as its name implies, and the excavated sculptures of the Kings of Judah in the photo. After the museum, the ladies lunched at Brasserie Balzar and if we hadn't stopped so long to admire the re-creation of medieval gardens in the park next to the museum, we would have been home before the rain and hailstorm. As it was, we were saying again, 'April in Paris with hail?!'
posted by Judy at 5:41 AM|link
Tuesday, April 24
Anyone recognize these twins out and about in Paris? You'll notice the weather has held up its foul reputation, calling for umbrellas and including the blur on this shot of an actual raindrop. However, that didn't stop us in our first walk around the neighborhood. We toured Notre Dame and the Ile St. Louis and then stopped in for cafe and luscious pastries at a tea salon near the apartment. This picture was taken just next to it, in the park in front of St. Julien.
posted by Judy at 1:42 PM|link
Monday, April 23
Today was a day of anticipation and preparation for my important guests arriving tomorrow morning - Mom and Aunt Doris. No Joy of Cleaning women to help me out though, so it was vacuum the rooms, change the sheets and clean the bathroom on my own. Then off to refresh the flowers on the glass table, to pick up a few groceries and to choose some nice wine, passing the gallery right across from my apartment where I always notice this wonderful man's face hanging.
posted by Judy at 3:43 PM|link
Sunday, April 22
To my favorite vieux campeur, Bob. Trudy and I thought of you a lot last week but especially whenever we passed by this logo and the shop called Au Vieux Campeur. That was when we really missed you because it was your kind of shop (I know there aren't many), with all sorts of camping gear and even an indoor climbing wall. I just hope next time you're off hiking you'll don a beret, stick a daisy in the corner of your mouth and remember my thanks for giving Trudy the chance to join me in Paris.
posted by Judy at 12:59 PM|link