France – Day 15 – 4/12/2018

We woke to our last full day in France. Our bed was comfortable, and I slept well. I still had some pain, but it had diminished considerably.

The bathroom was modern and lovely. I enjoyed the shower, and the heat helped ease my aches.

We followed directions and went downstairs via the circular stairway. We entered the basement room, and I was impressed.

The walls of the old building had been whitewashed. In contrast, the very modern furniture and accessories worked well. I would never have thought of using these pieces in such an old structure, but the place looked gorgeous.

When we went to the lobby, we asked about the building. The concierge, Damien, told us all the property for several blocks from the cathedral had originally belonged to the church. This particular mansion contained the original wine cellar. It was protected by a historical designation. Somehow, respect for the history and modern convenience had been balanced perfectly here.

Our room was on the ground floor, and Bob & Bernie’s was above us. Theirs had its own private balcony.

Bob wanted to see the new Monet Museum, Musee Marmottan Monet, so we found the route and took the Metro. What a wonderful place. The special exhibit featured the works of Corot, focused on his models. The paintings were spectacular. And the museum contained so much more.

One area featured the works of many of the impressionists, including Monet. Another area featured Napoleonic era artwork. Still another featured religious icons and illuminations.

We all enjoyed this museum and agreed we were happy to have been able to see it.

Since it was lunchtime, we found the Tabac de la Muette, where we enjoyed some of our favorites. Bernie and I ate Croque Monsier again. Larry had the Croque Royale. Bob ordered a pepper burger. We shared an order of frites (French fries).

Since we still had some time, we decided to go to the Champs-Élysées to see the Arc de Triomphe up close and personal. So, back to the Metro and into town. The exit put us in front of the Arc. Bob wasn’t interested in taking the elevator to the top. (He is terrified of heights.) Besides, it was crowded, and it was raining.

Then we decided we ought to see the Moulin Rouge.

We took the obligatory photos and then headed back to the hotel.

I had heard so much about the delicious soup the others had enjoyed the evening before, I suggested we return to Au 35 for dinner.

We arrived about half an hour before they opened. Since it was raining, the owner let us stay while he prepared for dinner service.

Bob had decided to order a glass of the same wine he’d had the night before. Larry ordered one, too. The owner asked if Bernie or I wanted wine. I declined, but Bernie described the type she enjoyed and asked him to recommend something. Our wine arrived. Bernie enjoyed the variety he recommended.

We savored our chance to relax until the restaurant opened. The owner took our orders, and other guests arrived.

A couple sat down at the next table. The lady admired Bernie’s cross necklace, and we began a conversation.

The couple, Michel and Julia Moreau, met when they were serving in the Peace Corps. She was American, and he was French. They married and returned to the US, where they raised a family. Once their children were grown, they moved back to Michel’s hometown in Normandy. However, they travel back to the US often to see their family.

We ate a delicious dinner and then ordered our final French dessert. I went back to crème brulee, but Larry ordered their specialty, pistachio crème brulee. We both enjoyed our selections.

This was the perfect way to end our final day in France: good food, good friends, new friends, and delightful conversation.

The final blog next time: Back to reality.

France – Day 6 – 4/3/18

After breakfast, we headed out on the Metro for Musée d’Orsay. After seeing the lines the first time we went, we made sure to arrive early. The museum was supposed to open at nine-thirty, and we got there a little after nine. We still had our museum passes, so we didn’t have to stand in the line for tickets. The entry line only serpentined for two loops instead of the dozen we’d seen before.

So, we waited…and waited… Nine-thirty came and went. The line grew even longer than on our previous visit. Fortunately, we were near the front of the line. Finally, the people ahead of us started moving. We got through security and entered the museum a little after ten o’clock.

To begin with, the building is a converted train station. (If you saw the movie Hugo, it was supposed to be set in this station. Instead of one huge clock, it actually has three.) The architecture alone is worth the visit. The building also used to house an elegant hotel with a restaurant.

We headed straight to the top floor for the Impressionists and soaked in the gorgeousness. Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, Cezanne, Pissarro, Sisley, and many others are represented.

The museum featured a special show with Van Gogh, Gaugin, and the Neo-impressionists, Seurat, Signac, etc. We took our time and enjoyed our favorites.

Since it was Larry’s birthday, we had already decided to have lunch at the museum restaurant. We had eaten there on our last trip and enjoyed it. They have replaced the chairs with very modern ones. They look a bit like shattered glass, but they are comfortable. We enjoyed the food—and the desserts.

We took our time exploring the whole place. This is probably my favorite museum in the world. Unlike the Louvre, which is overwhelming and crowded, the Orsay is accessible and easy to maneuver. I also love their collections.

By this time, Bob had become our navigator in the Metro. I had told him how easy it was, and he figured it out. Since we left the museum in the afternoon, the trains were pretty full. We nearly lost Bernie on the return trip.

Quite a few people got off, so we didn’t have much time to board. Larry and I got on, Bob followed. As he reached back for Bernie, the doors closed. She was left on the platform looking terrified. With her total lack of sense of direction, being lost in a foreign city represented her very worst nightmare.

As we pulled out, Larry held up one finger. He hoped she’d get the message: get on the next train and meet us at the next station. But we weren’t at all sure she’d understand.

All the way to the next station we worried about her. I expected her to be in full panic mode. But she surprised us all when she was on the next train. We joined her and made it back to the timeshare together.

Since we’d had a delicious lunch, we decided to have apples and cheese again for dinner. We decided on an early evening since we planned for a busy following day.

France – Day 5 – 4/2/18

After our usual breakfast, we headed out on the Metro for the Louvre.

We found a LONG line waiting for the security check. When we finally got through this, we came up to another super-long line to enter the museum. Despite our arrival at the time of museum opening, we spent nearly an hour waiting in line. Our passes helped, but the wait was exceptionally long. Once again, we felt the increased security impact.

Welcome to France with enhanced security—and LONG lines.

We went through several galleries. Lots to see, but the whole museum is a maze of convoluted routes and dead-ends with up and down stairways.

By 11:45, we were tired and hungry. We were near the museum restaurant and decided to stop here for lunch. As we were waiting for a table, I suddenly felt light headed. Fortunately, I didn’t pass out. They didn’t have a table for four available, but we were able to get two tables for two. Ours was near the dessert display, so Larry selected his before he even started his meal.

Bob and Bernie were seated near the window with a nice view. Even though we weren’t sitting together, we all ordered Caesar salads. Larry had a terrific Napoleon for dessert, and I had a wonderful lemon tart.

After lunch, we set out again. We realized we hadn’t seen the Mona Lisa. So, down hallways, up stairs, down stairs, around corners, into another building, we encountered more and more people. We finally reached the gallery which housed Da Vinci’s masterpiece. Just as four years before, we couldn’t get to within twenty feet of the painting. She is now behind two layers of glass, and railings keep visitors several feet away.

After spending hours walking through the museum, we were ready to head back. We enjoyed the day, but none of us felt the need to return.

We had enjoyed a great lunch, so we went to the store and bought apples, cheese, crackers, Sun Chips, and tea. The lighter repast hit the spot.

We went to bed early because we had another busy day planned for the following day.

Next post: Musee d’Orsay and Larry’s birthday.