Winter in Paris

 

Saturday April 2nd

April fools...that would be me...a fool for returning to Paris when the weather is so unpredictable.  I am not kidding when I say that in the 5 days we have been here we have had 4 seasons. April first was extremely cold when I walked to the Louvre (4 blocks away) in snow, sleet and turn the umbrella inside out wind! I was Searching for my friend, who had the tickets.  Finding her was impossible.  Loads of people in dark coats covered heads and  umbrellas obscured faces.  Everyone indistinguishable from one another. A needle in a snow storm! When I could no longer stand the cold, I got in line and somehow got in the door without a ticket. Once there I could sign on to wifi and contact Roxanne who was still circling the I.M.Pie domes in bad weather!!

The Louvre is all that you have imagined and more!  An endless u-shapped building dating back to 1200s. Formerly a palace that saw the reign of several until Louis the 14th transformed his father's hunting "lodge" into a palace in the countryside of Versailles.  

The Palace houses an abundance of art. The building itself is overwhelming.  Marble floors, incredibly high, carved ceilings (some ornately painted) and marble columns galore. Each area filled with countless priceless artifacts...from all over the world. If you go wear comfortable shoes and plan to stay for several hours.

Today, Saturday,  I walked through the Tuileries garden, across the Seine to Musee d' Orsay. This another beautiful building that was formerly a train station inaugerated in 1900 for the worlds fair. 



And oh the art...Van Goghs, Picasso's, Renoir's (just to name a few) and Monet's!!  THE REAL ONES  from all the art classes I've ever taken..right there in front of me to study up close, nose to pastel.  Every brush stroke and detail I was finally able to see, simply amazing!! If my feet would have cooperated I could have stayed longer, much longer. In addition,  we we had a 2 pm checkout time. So I rushed through the hundreds of paintings that could have occupied my time for much longer. 

So normal to breast feed in public. Why has it become so controversial & taboo in USA?? 


How can a painter give the illusion of transparency??


 Did you know that Whistler's mother, widowed and living with her son, was only 67 at the time of this portrait? Apparently,  during this sitting, she was praying for her son to become more religious.  

We moved to another hotel for just one night. Then, we met our friends for dinner.  Out of three possible restaurants, the restaurant Lipp got our business because the line to get in was the shortest. Inside seating was elbow to butt-cheek. Tables pushed together so that any covid germ could freely infect dozens at a time. But we were committed and hungry and cold. So we dove in like rabbits to the lair.  Cold, hungry fools who would choose food over safety.  Reality check...no place so far, except the flight, has enforced masking. Our guard is down. We are moving amongst them. We pray for continued good health!





Goofing around with my partner in travel!!

            Our buddies Roxanne and Jordy

Tomorrow we can sleep in.  Then off to Bologna where spaghetti bolognese was invented!!


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