another very long day…

Roses jess
We have been getting up quite late.  I used to be able to move time zones without a problem.  Old age has set in.  It sucks.  But there is something very relaxing about getting up at 11.

 After a cup of espresso, we jumped on the Metro and went to the Rodin Museum.  OneThinker

of my favorites.  The garden, the sculptures, the entire ambiance of the museum.  A must see when ever in Paris.  The roses were in bloom and of course, the Thinker is classic. 

Fred, Josh and Emily were shattered and decided to call it a day Crystal house
and just relax.  Not Jessica and me, we carried on.  Someone had to.  We said au revoir and went to the Baccarat Museum.  Housed in a 19th Century home that has been renovated by Philippe Starke who created a Crystal Room, literally.  The place is incredible.  The room is like something out of the Marie Antoinette days.  Then the crystal which is housed in large glass boxes marked by date lets you see how much or how little the style has changed over the years.  What I didn’t realize is that Baccarat was commissioned to design many of the fragrance bottles which are still used today from Guerlain to Cartier.  This place is definitely worth the journey  Even the bathrooms are beautiful.  We made reservations for dinner there in a week or so.  Fit for a king or queen, literally. 

Hopped another Metro to the Tuillieries and hd a bite to eat at Cafe Renard which is simple and is a treat just to sit in the park.  We walked across the way to the Museum Orangie.  This museum reopened a fewMonet
years ago.  It is incredibly modern stocked with impressionist art.   On the main level are two rooms.  Each has a parachute type shade that covers the ceiling to allow natural light without harming the paintings.  Each room has four large water lily Monets.  We walked in to the first room and my eyes teared. The pieces are so magnificent, huge and breath taking.  My picture obviously does not do the painting justice.  Downstairs, there are painting from Van Gogh, Gaugin and all the great impressionist painters. 

Do not touch
As we walked back home through the Tuilleries, we saw two Richard Serra pieces.  The best part was the sign posted in front of the Serra’s.  Do not touch, this is art.  I took a shot of the sign.  We weren’t the only ones who got a kick out of it.

We grabbed the Metro and once we got off, strolled home.  Stopped by BarthelemyBarthelemy
which is like heaven if you like cheese.  Picked up 3 small cheese bites to bring home for the troops.  No pictures allowed but I did take one and then asked.  Bad behavior but no one knew I took the shot but me. 

After finally getting home, washing off, and getting everyone moving, we headed off to dinner.  We had a fabulous meal.  Completely unexpected.  The restaurant is called Les Cocottes.  Everything is served in small casseroles.  We attempted to get into Christian Constant, down the street, but Cocottes is his place too.  I began with a puree of pea soup with spicy pieces of chorizo.  Jessica had Italian tuna in a small glass that was fantastic.  For dinner, I had four large shrimp over a mixture of roasted vegetables.  Everything was full of flavor, textures and had a twist of Spanish influence.  A winner.

Eifeel
We walked over to the Eiffel Tower, looked at the line and laughed.  We will be back and have drinks at the restaurant inside.  Another evening.

Home now, watching the Da Vinci Code.  My feet ache…but tomorrow is another day. 

Zemanta Pixie

Comments (Archived):

  1. rachel

    do you have any good hints for not waiting in lines for museums(in paris)? I haven’t researched very well but the lines in the summer have always been so long.

  2. gothamgal

    You can buy a museum pass for the week. We are staying a month so it didn’t make sense for us. The pass supposedly lets you skip the line. One of the problems with the pass is that although it lets you into the museum it may not necessarily let you in to the current exhibit which is usually something you want to see.

  3. Brad Feld

    Sounds like you guys are having an awesome time. We are enjoying living in Paris vicariously through you. When Amy and I spent a month there two years ago we never got up before 11 – just roll with it (especially since the really good stuff happens after 10pm).

  4. gail

    I feel like I am in Paris reading your blog….I am keeping all your info in my Paris file …..as for the museum pass , we were there in December and they were our saving grace…it does let you into any exhibit at the museum and if you are just going for a week I would HIGHLY recommend getting them !!!

    Jo, you have to write a book …just can’t decide if it should be about restaurants or travel ….have fun !!!

  5. Margaret Arndt

    J:
    If you are going to be there a whole month, make sure not to miss the Canal St. Martin area. It’s a breath of fresh air after the intensity of all those museums. Chez Prune would be a charming lunch choice, or stop in at Le Verre Vole.
    Enjoy!