Paris........ or I just spent $5.00 on a coke

My feet hurt.

Ok, enough complaining, after all, we are in Paris!

I get a strange feeling as we walk along the streets. First of all, our hotel is only a few blocks from where I used to live when I went to university here. I catch myself looking for people I know (not that I would recognize anyone, they have gotten older too!) It has been 32 years since I lived here. I did come back with Jim for New Year's eve in 1985, but I don't remember much of Paris then, I must have had eyes only for Jim! I do remember that they had new lights on the Eiffel tower, that the traffic around the Arc de Triomphe actually stopped at midnight, and that the metros were free that night but they were as busy as the ones in Japan where they push the people inside to close the doors. Jim and I celebrated New Year's eve in the typical French fashion, with champagne and chocolates. We still do that!

Jim came to Paris in the summer of 1984 as well, so both of us have seen the major sights. I have to say that they haven't changed much in the last 32 years. Of course not - these buildings and streets have been here for hundreds of years. I know where everything is, but I don't remember how to get there (which metro did I take, or did I go by bus?)

The atmosphere seems a little different to me too. Maybe because I am not 20 any more, maybe because I really am a tourist this time. It is still beautiful, that will never change. I realize that when I was a student here I didn't really pay attention to the tourist spots - I went in the Louvre once or twice (although I did visit the Jeu du Paume many more times because that is where the Impressionist paintings were). I didn't see Napoleon's tomb until after I graduated, even though it is within walking distance of where I lived. I agree with Elaine, it seems like a very clean city, cleaner than when I lived here.

Of course, there is an advantage to having lived here. I know a few tips and tricks. Like that there are side entrances into the Louvre. It sure is easier to go in there now that there are huge line-ups because of security. (We didn't have security in those days - the Mona Lisa wasn't even behind glass, just a cord about a metre away.) Anyway, we arrived at the door at 9 am and we were second in line. We went straight to the Mona Lisa. It was weird walking through the halls as there was no one else there - we had the place to ourselves.

Empty Halls

Almost empty room with Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa - now behind bullet-proof glass

I also wanted to see the Venus de Milo - the few times I had ventured into the Louvre before, she had been away on tour. Again, we almost had the room to ourselves.

Venus de Milo

Another quilt pattern from the floor of the Louvre

This statue was pretty gruesome:

Hercules and the Hydra

It was actually a fountain. Can you see where the heads are cut off that there are some holes? The water would come out of the holes representing blood!

Fountain

Da Vinci Code picture

Jardin de Tuileries from the Louvre

We decided to cross the river and find a cafe to eat lunch. We tried to get out of a direct line of sight of any of the museums, thinking that that might save us a few euros. We found a nice little place and I ordered a Croque Monsieur Complet. A Croque Monsieur is the French version on a grilled ham and cheese, only it is open faced. Complet means that they added the tomatoes and egg. I was huge! And yummy. And meant that I certainly didn't need a big dinner.

As we walked along the streets we looked in all the shop windows. I was thinking of buying these scissors as a Christmas present for you Elaine, but then I found out that they cost 35 euros. Way too much for a pair of scissors that probably don't even cut well! And they were also probably made in China, not Paris. 

Bird scissors

 I also did not buy this for Stephen:

For chefs with a lot of aggression

 We then walked to the Rodin Museum, where we saw a lot of his works, including The Kiss.

The Kiss by Rodin

 I didn't take a lot of pictures. This is another museum that I did frequent when I lived here and have seen the statues a number of times. Rodin also made The Thinker, The Gates of Hell, and The Burgers of Calais  (not hamburgers - the citizens!) and The Hand of God.

I have always liked one of his quotes: "Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely". Another quote of his, a little less lofty - "I choose a piece of marble and chop off what I don't need."

Our last stop was the Musee d'Orsay. Yes - 3 museums in one day! And we walked from to the other. I told you my feet hurt!

You are not allowed to take pictures of any of the artwork inside the museum, but I took a picture of the clock over the entrance. What a grand building this is. It used to be the main train station in Paris, right on the banks of the river Seine, in the middle of the city. People coming into Paris by train would see all this ornamentation and know what a rich, important city Paris was. I used to take the train home to Holland from the Gare du Nord, and I hate to admit it but I never really looked at the building. Maybe if we have time we can make a quick stop and I can look up and around, instead of just looking for the exit!

Clock in Musee D'Orsay