Sunday was another spring day in Paris and since it was Susie's day off we wantd to make the most of it. Of course we also had to start thinking about the upcoming week: family visiting next weekend, the movers coming on Friday, and Susan can't get baking out of her mind (or her hands either); she continually plans one home project after another.A little time to wander the city was in order so after a leisurely morning (hey it's Paris) we walked up to Jussieu, caught the no. 10 to Duroc, switched to the no. 13 and got off at Les Invalides. From there we walked to the American Church where we dropped off a small package of DVDs and books for their library. From the American Church we strolled eastward along the Seine, on the Quai d'Orsay until we reached the Musée d'Orsay, our main objective for the day.
It was the first time we noticed the large statue of Thomas Jefferson just opposite the museum on the left bank side of the river at the end of the pedestrian footbridge (photo above). Quite spectacular and I suppose not surprising since Jefferson, like his older and somewhat wiser friend Benjamin Franklin, was equally infatuated with Paris. Both men clearly understood that the French were absolutely critical to the success of the American experiment. If it had not been for the staunch support of France, of men like the Marquis de Lafayette (who after all named his first son George Washington Lafayette) who can say what would have happened in the wake of "the shot heard around the world."
Since it was the first Sunday of the month, "Free Day" for the state museums, naturally the line of folks eager to get in was longue and we did our small part to keep it that way. But it moved right along and before long we were inside, through security and looking for the audio guide and information counter. The last time we were here, just a month ago in fact, we opted to use only the handy museum map. This time we went all out and paid the €5 euros for the audioguide. As it turned out this was one of the best investments we ever made in the entertainment world. While you can download a free podcast guide from Rick Steves but it is nowhere near as informative or thorough as the official museum guide. Spring for it. You won't regret it.
So we spent the next 2 hours or so wandering around the ground floor level, in fact we never got off the first floor! Even with all the people we still felt comfortable, no jostling whatsoever to see this thing or that. It was so nice to just cruise at our own speed, look at the things that caught our eye.
We began by just strolling the central hall filled with sumptious sculptures, many by names I recognized from my spending so much time in the local cemeteries, names like Clesinger and Pradier (buried in divisions 10 and 24 respectively).
Woman bitten by a serpent (that's it around her wrist actually) by Auguste Clesinger (above); and Sapho by James Pradier (below).
Our friend Drea (whose apartment we are renting) suggested that we see Gustave Courbet's Burial at Ornans and Jean-Baptise Carpeaux's "Dance" (detail below), both of which are absolutely stunning! We remembered them from our last trip but this time they stuck with us -- perhaps it was a third party's suggestion that worked to shape the images and their names in our minds now. But we won't easily forget them.
Nor will we easily forget Carpeaux's Ugolino (below), one of Dante's more despicable characters.
From the sculptures which dominate the central artery of the d'Orsay we turned to the Conservatives and then the Realists. But my favorite little space on this floor is the Edouard Manet room where you can find his beautiful Olimpia:
Being a "free day" of course brought out school groups too. But unlike the dull, blank stares one sees on the faces of so many students in other parts of the world (hint hint) here the teachers quietly relate the stories behind the paintings, and students of all ages gaze in rapt attention (I have been wanting to use that expression for some time now) and little hands shoot up with questions about this thing or that, but always about the art. Amazing.
Ok I know what you're thinking. Why not go to another museum? First off, we like this one -- a lot. It is a spectacular space, and, unlike another famous museum not 15 minutes' away, this one is pretty much all above ground and open to the sun through the iron and glass of the ceiling of the original railroad station. Second, it is all so very manageable, easily appreciated in a day and yet there is sooooooo much to see! And I'm going back at least one more time. I have to get to above that ground floor level. . .
After leaving the museum we strolled off down to the "rue du loo," rue de l'Universite, past Julia Child's very first apartment in Paris. We then walked down to the church St. Germain des Pres where a band was playing, they reminded me of those goofy high school bands that would play before the Big Game on Friday nights. of course these "kids" were doing it for the money.
We turned down (or up) St. Germain des Pres and strolled to the Odeon metro area, stopping at a couple of the English-language used bookshops located nearby to browse for a bit before going home.
That evening we had an interesting dining experience. After walking to Place d'Italie and then turning down rue Bobillot we went another few hundred meters to rue de la Butte aux cailles, a small sidestreet full of funky little bars, small cafes and tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurants. I had called the day before to make a reservation at Le Jean-Baptiste Clement, according to the Rough Guide for Paris a miniature restaurant tucked away at no. 11. But when we got to no. 11 it was a different restaurant altogether (Les Pissenlits) and after inquiring from a staff person there about Le Jean-Baptiste, she said, yeah they used to be here but moved somewhere else. No she didn't know where. (I have no idea who I spoke with on the phone. Thanks Rough Guide.) We were meeting our friend Beth, who showed up while we were trying to figure this out, and so the three of us decided what the heck, we would eat at no. 11 anyway.
So we did.
The food was pretty good: I had a burger with the first handcut French fries I have seen since coming to Paris! Truly amazing! Susie and Beth both had hearty French-style cassaroles which were tasty but filling. The service was good but the wine mediocre. We skipped dessert.
After dinner the three of us strolled back to Place d'Italie where we said "au revoir" to Beth (she got on the no. 5 and headed north), and we walked back to our apartment.
All-in-all a pretty fine day in Paris.
Wish you were here,
Steve
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