Paris 3 - Musée D'Orsay


Mary had to fly home in the morning, but there was one more day for me to explore Paris. The first thing I did after 3 weeks of getting up early and rushing off to tour activities was to sleep in. Yes, I woke up long enough to mumble goodbye to Mary, but then slept until my body felt like waking up. What a feeling!

After a leisurely breakfast with lots and lots of café and a mini croissant or two, I finally got moving. The walls of the Invalides Metro station are painted to reflect the very fancy Alexander III bridge nearby:
In no particular hurry, I eventually made it to the Musée D'Orsay, which is housed in a former train station. All I can say is "wow."
See if you agree:
There were so many beautiful impressionist paintings and sculptures.
Here are some of my favorites (my camera didn't capture the intensity of the colors - must be operator error): 
Claude Monet - The Boat at Giverny (above)
and Blue Water Lilies (below)

Girl in the Garden by Mary Cassatt
The Shepherdess by Camille Pissarro
City Dance. Country Dance (above)
Pierre Auguste Renoir
Dance at the Moulin de la Galette (below). 
Lol
Poppies (or The Promenade) - Monet again 
Little Dancer Aged Fourteen 
by Edgar Degas
This piece was very controversial when it debuted. The girl wasn't considered beautiful or delicate enough. I love her focus and determination.

Lunch in the museum's beautiful café was a welcome break from the slow walking/ standing required in museums.
There were so many sculptures, including this apparently famous polar bear by François Pompon.
and Rodin's "Thinker" on his Gates of Hell.
Eventually I'd soaked up about as much art as I could handle in one day, the weather was fine, and our hotel wasn't too far away, so I strolled back along the river on the Quai D'Orsay, where Parisians and tourists alike were all having a great time.
Exercise class
Skateboarding
Snacking and drinking
Nice Canadians filling their water bottles. One of the moms said that one side dispenses sparkling water, so of course I had to test it. Incroyable! It really does.
There were joggers, skaters, walkers, bikers, houseboats, and bad selfie takers. Here's the ornate Pont Alexandre III and the Grand Palais behind me (just one of several palaces we didn't visit).

It was a lovely day, although being a tourist wasn't the same without my travel buddy. 🙂

- Christine 

Comments

  1. HeidiJune 27, 2022 at 8:05 AM

    I have never been to the Musee D'Orsay. It looks wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Christine StevensJune 28, 2022 at 1:24 PM

      It's really beautiful. People in our tour group were raving about it so I had to go.

      Delete
  2. SueJuly 1, 2022 at 9:16 AM

    Ahh, sleeping in! Nice! Love the impressionist paintings! Not a bad self at all, by the way!😉

    ReplyDelete

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