Paris color, days 5 & 6

Tomorrow is my last full day in Paris, which precisely coincides with my finally having adjusted to the time difference. Great. Just in time to have to reverse the process. Last night was the first time I got to sleep before 3:30 am. I feel as if I should share some profound truths which I have discovered here, but none spring to mind. Maybe that's the big truth. We journey only to realize that the important things are those we carry.

I have taken about a billion pictures this past week. All kinds of challenging shots besides my usual easy close ups and well-lit flowers. Everyday, I'm not completely happy with my abilities, which is actually exciting, as now I'm finally catching on. There is so much more to learn! Most days, I've thought... Crap, I didn't get a decent shot, but then I find some cool ones when I load them on the computer. Thank the Lord for small favors. Here are some faves along with some Paris scoop.

These Parisians really, really like their flowers. There is an lush flower shop on almost every corner. I love that and what that says about how these folks appreciate beauty.

This marble staircase and the above art is in the Jacquemart-Andre museum, which was the home of a couple who collected art. The house is like a palace, but the audio guide described them as only upper middle class. I'd be happy to settle for an upper middle class home like that one.

I must be a cemetery groupie. Went to the Pere Lachaise cemetary yesterday, but it started raining after only a few shots and didn't stop, so I went back today, which was the first sunny day since I got here! That place is so interesting.

I absolutely can't get enough of quaint street scenes and churches. This one is the Church of St. Pierre-de-Monmarte and the one below is Sacre Cour, which didn't allow inside photography.

what the tour guide said, or Paris days 4 & 5

Quick post. Must sleep. Learning lots, mostly about what photography classes I need to take. Like lighting. Cathedrals are hard to photograph from the inside. Here's what else I've learned. The birds in Paris are so friendly they will land in your hand.

Notre Dame Cathedral has magnificent stained glass windows,

statues,

and doors.

But some people need to trim their eyebrows. This British dude was on my two-hour-long cathedral tour. I missed half of what the tour guide said due to those brows. Do you think he would have been jovial enough to let me braid them into tiny cornrows? Perhaps not, but pondering my chances kept me entertained while everyone else was learning about church history.

Little free churches that you accidentally stumble onto, like Saint Severin's on the Left Bank, can have even prettier stained glass windows than those you pay ten bucks to see, like Sainte Chapelle, which is under repair and thus a few windows shy of its full glory.

Okay, fine. I'll admit it. Sainte Chapelle did have a finer point or two to offer.

The Left Bank area of Paris is fun to walk around in. It has inviting cafes and

a mysterious walled-in courtyard, which intrigued me so much I hope to live there one day. Wait. It could just be a nunnery. It was right beside Saint Severin's. Hmmm. Sister Gleanfreak does have a certain ring, no?

Also, it's chock-a-block full of interesting corners.

Now it is off to bed, as someone is overtired and punchy. Tomorrow we will talk about the Paris flower shops. Bon soir, mon ami.

Paris day 3

Apparently, my tourist skills are still developing. I walked down to the Musee du Louvre yesterday and finally managed to find the entrance to the monstrosity only to discover that it is closed on Tuesdays. Small detail I forgot to check. After a convoluted jaunt back to the apartment. (I don't have a map which lists all of the streets and made a wrong turn somewhere, but eventually came out on a major street, though I never found the library, which I was attempting to visit.) By then it was lunch time. 

After a quick salad, Iris and I went to the Orsay museum. Can we say amazing? It is my favorite museum ever. Toulouse Lautrec, Van Gogh, Renoir, you name it. The coolest part was the actual building. It was an old train station converted into a museum. It is the number one thing I've been to so far. Then we went to the Luxembourg museum to see a big Chagall exhibit, which was fascinating. 

After that, we met a young couple from Australia, friends of Iris, for an over-priced tiny dinner. I had pea soup, a dollop of lamb shoulder, and a teaspoon full of potatoes inside of a red pepper. The dessert was great, though: flaky pastry sheets layered with cream. Overall, a $68.00 interesting snack. I can officially cross exorbitant French gourmet meal off of my list now. Everyone has to try it once, right?

I gave my camera, Agnes the day off yesterday, so these pics are from the day before. The one above shows how precisely and artistically all of the stores are arranged. Most stores are tiny, but soooo cute inside. Now the old girl (Agnes) and I are headed off to Notre Dame. Wish us luck that it will be open.

Paris day 2

Paris is so interesting, with the buildings, art, people, and atmosphere.

Most of the museums are closed on Monday, so we puttered around the Place de Vosges, the most beautiful square in all of Paris.

We had coffee and almond pastry on the square, and duck confit for lunch.

I love how all the woman in Paris are stylish, no matter their age or activity.

We browsed in many quaint shops, like a shirt shop, Cotton Doux, on the corner of Rambuteau and Vieille du Temps, which had the above shirts. I got an amazing shirt covered in cameras.  I loved this veggie stall below.

And this shop mesmerized me with its colors. Tres chic.

Paris day 1

Well, I made it to Paris and managed to find my way to the apartment in the Marais. While waiting for my luggage, I met a nice couple from Tuscon, Lynne and Mary, who are both neurology professors. They were so kind as to offer to get me to the nearest metro stop to the apartment, as they were going nearby and they had previously lived in Paris, so knew their way around. I guess I had that helpless look on my face.

What a blessing their help was, as the metro from the airport was closed for renovations, so we had to take a bus then the metro. Poor Mary got pick pocketed between the bus and metro, but they only got her phone.

Once at the apartment, a cozy modern tiny affair right in the heart of the action, I headed our with my partner in crime and best travel guide ever, Iris, to The L'Orangerie museum, and the Tulieries Garden.

We strolled around the Rue De Rivoli and rode the metro. That is the lovely Iris below.

Back at the apartment, we had a dinner of fresh baguette bread, cheese, salad with beets, and eggs. Of course, we also had a glass of French wine. C'est bon! Off to more adventures today.

to Paris and beyond

Lately, I've been thinking about art. I am always looking for beauty and puzzling over what defines it, exactly. Even a bunch of colored pencils sticking out of a jar can captivate me. Why? I can't articulate it, only feel it. I love this quote by the painter Robert Henri:

"It is not desirable to devote all your time to an appreciation of art. Art should drive you forth. It should be an incentive to life. The greatest value of art to the appreciator is in that it stimulates to personal activity."

To me, eyes are beautiful because they lead straight down to the soul and let you connect on that level.

This afternoon, I fly to Paris for ten days. I will be finding beauty and sharing it on my blog. I hope you come along starting Monday. I got this opportunity only because of my buddy, Iris, who has gone to Paris for three weeks to finish her novel. The book will be a hit. I have read the first several chapters. Iris invited me to join her for the last bit. While she writes, I will be wandering the streets hunting for wonder and capturing it inside my camera, Agnes. I hope to write some, too. There is a story I've been stuck on for two years. I can't seem to get it out. It is a true story, mostly not about me. I think that Paris will give me the distance I need to finally write it out so I can move on to other tales.

chill time

Happy Friday, people! I hope you set aside some time this weekend to rest, create and enjoy. Sometimes the best ideas come along when you allow yourself time to do nothing in particular.

The Beast

The mind is
a willful beast. 
It must be
given air 
and room to
flow and flutter
in the breeze,
scattering its
seeds at will.
      
            -Kimberly Laustsen