A Week in Paris

Day 1

I drove to Charles DeGaulle Airport near Paris to drop off the car, I could not find a gas station right near the airport and ended up paying at Hertz. They charged 48 Euro for half a tank of gas!!!

I caught the Roissy Bus into Paris and walked to the apartment on Rue Vivienne but I am too early, so I walked down to Palais Royal and sat in the park for a while. It is a nice warm day. I met Sam at the apartment just before 4 and she showed me around and explained the workings of the appliances and entry in and out of the apartment.

I walked to a nearby Franprix for groceries. When I returned to the apartment I called to check in with family. I went to Chartier for dinner, it is one of the oldest restaurants in Paris. They seat you in groups, so I was seated with 4 other people, a couple and a man that was by himself, too. The place has a reputation for cheap food and rude waiters, and the waiters are intentionally rude and the "entertainment" while you dine. The problem for me was that his comments were in French, and mine is not good enough to understand, so I didn't get most of the jokes.

Day 2

I left the apartment at 8:30 and walked down and through Palais Royal. It is easily 70 degrees F already this morning! I enjoyed the sculptures in the courtyard. I followed a route that took me past the Louvre and down through Tuileries Garden to Place de la Concord and over to the Musee Rodin, arriving just before 10. I purchased a Carte Musee for 6 days at 60 Euro, this will cover almost all the museums I will visit.

I have returned specifically to see the room dedicated to the works of Camille Claudel in the museum, the exhibit was closed on my last visit. I could look at here sculptures for hours. There is something about here story and her work that fascinates me. "The Waltz" and "Le Age Mur" are my absolute favorites.

I walked through Montparnasse and caught the end of the Sunday morning Art Fair. Local artists come every week to sale their work. There are painters, photographers, and sculptors. There are a few jewelers as well.

I strolled through Montparnasse Cemetery. I especially liked Brancusi's Kiss and the man and women in bed, two of the burial chamber adornments.

I'm walking and walking and passed the Paris Observatory, the Pantheon, Notre Dame and then to Ile St Louis for a stop at Berthillon for chocolate and raspberry sorbet. It is so good!

I walked by the European Museum of Photography and decided to stop in, I was not really interested in the works on display, but at least I stopped to see what was being shown. I did not stay very long.

I made my way to Centre Pompidou. I am very interested in seeing the Kandinsky pieces. This portion of the museum was closed on my previous visit. I love his work! I am a modern art fan, so I did not leave without visiting the rest of the museum.

A tip is to check the schedule if you are going to see specific wings or exhibitions to make sure they are open when you are there. Sometimes you will be able to find out during your planning that an area or exhibition is closed, most museums I've visited have pretty good websites that provide the information.

There are some clouds rolling in and a few sprinkles, so I returned to the apartment via Le Halles. I was back at the apartment having dinner when it started raining and there was thunder and lightening. It poured, so I was glad I was inside. I walked a long way today, so I'm tired.

Day 3

I took the Metro to the Marias and the Picasso museum. I really enjoyed the museum and his paintings and sculptures on display. I was surprised by the quantity of sculptures, and how much I enjoyed them. There was a small garden that had sculptures and a little cafe.

I took the Metro to Gare Austerlitz and Jardin de Plantes to visit the Geology and Mineralogy museum. There are some very nice pieces on display, and some of the largest crystals I have seen.

I walked down to the Seine and through the Musee de la Sculpture en Plein Air an outdoor sculpture park along side the river. There are some interesting pieces to see as you walk along the river and enjoy the sights.

As usual, when I get near Ile St Louis, I will detour to Berthillon for sorbet, or if they are closed, there are now a couple of shops nearby that sell their ice cream.

I walked up through St Germaine du Pres and found a Paris sweatshirt and also "the narrowest" house in Paris. Then I stopped into St Sulpice to see the "rose line" again and look at some of the other artwork and decor in the church.

I returned to the apartment for a light dinner. About 8:30 pm I took the Metro to the Eiffel Tower to see the sparkling lights.

Day 4

I slept in. Today is a holiday in Paris, so many places will be closed. I am going to Pere Lachaise Cemetery to find some famous graves and explore a little bit of the surrounding area. My Paris guidebook has a small map and a walking tour I will follow.

At the Cemetery I saw the graves of Jim Morrison of the Doors, Marcel Proust, Sarah Bernhardt, Oscar Wilde and Edith Pilaf to name a few of the many I visited.

I found some fresh fruit and pastries and returned to the apartment to read and rest. In a few days, I have done quite a bit of walking.

Day 5

I went to Rue Montorgueil which is a market street with stall open onto the sidewalk! I bought a baguette, cheese, dessert and wine and returned to the apartment.

I took the Metro to Musee des Arts et Métiers a museum of science and industry. I really enjoyed this museum, different "art" from what I have typically scene in Paris. There were displays of how that built stone archways, and bridges, collections of cameras, clocks and mechanical musical instruments, among others. There was even a model "green" house. I recommend a visit if you can fit it into your schedule, especially if you like engineering.

I treated myself to lunch at Le Vaudeville. I had the best leg of lamb! This had to be one of the best meals I've ever had. Also nice was the price, lunch prices are better deal.

I strolled down through Palais Royal and the Tuileries Garden to L'Orangerie to see Claude Monet's water lily series. There are two oval shaped rooms with long paintings on each side, on the curve, very interesting. Impressionism is not my favorite, but the paintings are interesting because of the size and the mounting. Monet fans would really enjoy them.

I visited the Musee d'Orsay for a leisurely tour. There was a photography exhibition of pre-1900 photographs that were very interesting.

Day 6

I am nearing the end of my 3 weeks, and tired. I went to Galleries Lafayette to see the beautiful stained glass roof. Wow! With the sun shining through it is beautiful!

I went to Au Pied du Cochon for lunch. I had excellent French Onion soup! Also, steak and frites (french fries) and dessert from the Price Fix menu.

I took the Metro and went to the museum at Ecole de Mines to see their mineralogy collection. Wow do they have a lot of samples. Of course it is a school, so they have small samples of almost all the minerals in the world.

After a short rest in the Luxembourg Gardens, I went to the Musee Zadkine. I like Zadkine's sculptures.

Day 7

Today is my last full day in Paris. I had thought of trying to go to Moudon to the Rodin Museum there, but it is too much for me, and I'm sure I will be back.

I went to the Musee Bourdelle which has over 900 sculptures. I really enjoyed it!

I took the Metro out to the Cite des Sciences et de l'Industries to visit the Planetarium.

I took the Metro to Ile St Louis for one more stop at Berthillon before I leave. I stopped at an Astronomy Store and bought a couple things I liked and came back to the apartment.

I went to the Cafe de Capuchin for dinner. The crème brule was very good! I returned to the apartment to clean and pack. I beat another thunder and lightning storm!