Chapitre V: Paris II
April 30
8:30: Sunny, 23. Time to put on my new floral skirt and step out onto the streets of Paris! The thought gives me quite a buzz.
9:00: Sacre Cœur. A beautifully serene start to my morning. The Place du Tertre...not so much. Caricaturists can be quite a persistent bunch! I much prefer a quiet promenade around Amelie’s streets. Unfortunately, I don’t manage to find Café des 2 Moulins for a crème brûlée, but I do find a maxi pain au chocolat. I’m sure this is meant to be shared between two, or five, but... Oh look, it’s the Moulin Rouge!
11:00: The Orangerie Museum. Words cannot express how much I love this place. Monet’s Les Nymphéas grace the walls of two oval rooms and a corridor of Renoir makes me weak at the knees. Why it is not on Paris’ Top Ten list, I will never know – and don’t tell me that not everyone is as obsessed with Impressionism as I am, dear reader. Trust me, I will remain saner in denial.
13:00: “On se retrouve pour des escargots?” Yes, of course I’ll meet you for snails! I find my roommate in front of the Opera Garnier (I’m going in next time), and follow her to the bustling Chartier restaurant. The best place for snails in Paris, she proudly informs me. Oh, and mouth-watering crispy duck. I love my roommate.
14:00: I’m not sure this much good art in one day is a smart idea. The withdrawal symptoms are not going be fun... But how can I resist? I skip through the doors of the Musée d’Orsay with my museum pass and gravitate toward to the Impressionism section. Cue instant goose bumps and tears (I’ve really got to stop this crying business). Degas, Lévy, Monet, Sisley, Renoir, Pissarro... Pastel tutus, alluring eyes, dancing lilies, endless paths, soft nudes, a corner of a garden...
A woman sees me staring so intently at Monet’s London, Houses of Parliament (The Sun Shining through the Fog) that she pulls her son out of my way... Oops. I do immensely enjoy the other artworks in the museum too, of course, though that may be partly due to the fact that I don’t stumble upon any Picasso. I wonder what Corot’s landscapes are selling at... Maybe that will be my new incentive for becoming a neurosurgeon.
18:00: Time to enjoy some macaroons and Lafayette-style retail therapy. Or just retail – no therapy needed on a day like today!
20:00: Off to see a little metal tower and some sparkly lights. I decide that going up alone is not the best way to avoid all the Siamese twins I am suddenly surrounded by, so I amuse myself by taking photos of the Seine instead. See? As pretty as any of the last twenty postcards I’ve been offered.
May 1
9:00: As we walk down the Champs-Elysées, my roommate becomes increasing distressed as she realises that none of the shops we pass will be opening at their promised time. It’s definitely mayday- I mean, May Day!
10:00: The real Arc de Triomphe this time. I am impressed, but certainly not by the tourists. One yells at me to move out of their photo while others tread over the commemoration plaques without a downward glance. Ugh.
12:00: One last walk around Paris – for the next little while anyway. Window shopping, I spy a puppy that steals my heart so fast that I nearly smack my forehead on the glass. Going into pet shops in foreign countries is a bad idea. But going into one back home could be even worse...
15:00: Au revoir, Paris. Goodbye, France...
20:00: Back in Switzerland at last! Beautiful Switzerland. Home sweet home and bed warm bed.
Zzzzz...
Now that was one excellent holiday.
Zzzzz...
Now that was one excellent holiday.