Full day in Paris

futureexhibitWe are in Paris with friends who had never been to the Musee de L’Orangerie in the Tuileries.  A must see.  Before entering the park there was some exhibit of future buildings.  Not sure who was behind it but very cool structures.

waterlilliesThe museum has 8 large Monet water lilies as part of the permanent exhibit.  He painted roughly 250 of these during the last 30 years of his life.  They are all different and one more beautiful than the other.   This photo does not do these pieces justice.  The first time I walked into this room I got tears in my eyes.

orangeriedesignThe permanent impressionist collection here is quite spectacular too.  This architectural rendering was done in 1930 before this museum is built.  Shocking how modern the building is.

picassoThe paintings downstairs are from Picasso.

matisseMatisse.

rousseauand Rousseau.  There is also work from Derain and Soutine.

apartment dioramaEach of these artists were represented by the galleries Paul Guillaume.  He had several galleries through the city of Paris.  This diorama is of his apartment.  Not shabby with all that work hung on the walls.

coletteThe weather wasn’t the greatest but we walked over to Colette, the original concept store.  Every day the store changes.  The curation is great but with that comes hoards of people.  Sometimes I just find it overwhelming to walk in there but today it was pretty relaxed.

carolOur next stop was the E. Dehillerin store (and yes they ship and have an ecommerce store).  It is one of the best kitchen stores ever.  Good for consumers and restaurants.  Some of the pots downstairs are so big that you could sit inside it.  This is a picture of my friend with a giant sized whisk.

oystersWe went to Les Fines Gueules for lunch which is right around the corner.  This is our third time back.  Perfect for lunch.  A nice bottle of Pouilly-Fuisse for the troops.  Oysters from Utah beach…big and briny!  The perfect lunch.

wadjaWe went back and relaxed a little before the next main event….dinner!  We went to Wadja.  I love this place.  It is small, intimate, extremely french yet very warm and inviting.  The food is innovative and delicious.  Price fix of 40 euros per person for dinner including dessert.

dashi Dashi soup with mushrooms and ginger.

shrimpRaw shrimp with a cucumber ice and a creamy cold vegetable sauce.

raviloiRavioli stuffed with mushrooms and thyme.

celeryCarpaccio of braised celery with pieces of roasted beef and marrow.  These are all starters.

tunaMain courses were pan fried tuna with a vinaigrette of tomatoes.

scallopsPan seared scallops with caramelized leeks and hints of orange.

henRoasted guinea hen with crispy shavings of artichoke and pieces of grapefruit.  This was out of this world.

dessertsDessert was a lemon tart, pineapple sorbet, crepe filled with sweet roasted eggplants and roasted fits and vanilla ice cream.

One of the best meals over here hands down.  This was our second time back and we will return again and again.

 

Comments (Archived):

  1. Sofia Papastamelos

    Love that museum! I went back in January -really great curation and small enough that it’s not overwhelming and crowded. The water lilies are really something else.

    1. Gotham Gal

      It is a gem.

  2. ErikSchwartz

    L’Orangerie is great but I miss the days when the impressionists were in the Jeu de paume. d’Orsay is just way too big.

    1. pointsnfigures

      I went there in 2006. Was really really cool. I like the outdoor Rodin sculpture museum too.If you are a WW2 buff like I am, take the train to Caen. Go to their D Day Museum. It’s excellent. Find a reputable tour guide and go to the beaches, hedgerows and cemetery. Pretty awe inspiring. Oysters from Utah Beach with a bottle of wine is a perfect way to celebrate their memory.

    2. Gotham Gal

      I agree. Don’t love D’Orsay. I do love the contemporary art slant at the Jeu de Paume.