On our last day in Paris who should we run into on a bridge over the Seine but Mary Jo and her granddaughter! (Mary Jo is a volunteer at Adkins Arboretum and I did know that they would be in Paris when we were). We were on our way to explore the Louvre and they were on their way to explore the area around Notre Dame. Meeting later in the day for tea we exchanged travel stories and news from the Arboretum.
The Louvre’s collection was splendid as expected. Long corridors filled with famous works of art and thousands of not so famous people! The corridor leading to the Michelangelo sculptures and the Mona Lisa was packed with people but I did get a glimpse of the Mona Lisa through the throngs. I have to say that the periods of art covered in the Louvre are not my favorites, but of course there were some remarkable pieces. There was a very interesting exhibit by a current artist, Jan Fabre, that was intermingled with art from the Louvre (see photos). The rooms recreated as various royal quarters resembled those of Versailles in their glamour. I visited the “basement” of the Louvre as well, actually the area under the courtyard, where remnants of the medieval buildings remain – mostly some walls and columns and artifacts discovered when the glass triangle in the courtyard was installed.
We went shopping at the big department store, BHV, for gifts. They have a great kitchen section where things are not quite as expensive as the boutique shops. Their chocolate selection wasn’t great though. We stopped at a grocery store for chocolate and a big bag of Fleur de Sel de Camargue, a coarse salt we like to use in cooking that is outrageously expensive at stores like Whole Foods.
In the evening we went to Rue Tresor where friends of Jake’s have an apartment. After a glass of champagne we walked up to the 11th Arondissement near Rue de la Republique to have dinner at a traditional French restaurant that was at last filled with French people and not tourists! Our friends got traditional dishes like poached eggs with red wine sauce, sweetbreads and kidneys, but Jake got a cassoulet and I got duck breast in mustard sauce. A great last dinner!
Our last morning dawned bright and sunny at last so after breakfast we walked up to the market at St. Germain where Jake stocked up on dried fruits (including dried raspberries and kiwis) for the trip home and I succumbed to a long silk scarf as my souvenir.
We caught the train to the airport, but due to a strike, the train was packed and extremely slow. Apparently taxis were also on strike, so that wasn’t an alternative option. The flights though were all on time and there was a great choice of movies on the flight from London to JFK that kept us awake and entertained.
The Louvre’s collection was splendid as expected. Long corridors filled with famous works of art and thousands of not so famous people! The corridor leading to the Michelangelo sculptures and the Mona Lisa was packed with people but I did get a glimpse of the Mona Lisa through the throngs. I have to say that the periods of art covered in the Louvre are not my favorites, but of course there were some remarkable pieces. There was a very interesting exhibit by a current artist, Jan Fabre, that was intermingled with art from the Louvre (see photos). The rooms recreated as various royal quarters resembled those of Versailles in their glamour. I visited the “basement” of the Louvre as well, actually the area under the courtyard, where remnants of the medieval buildings remain – mostly some walls and columns and artifacts discovered when the glass triangle in the courtyard was installed.
We went shopping at the big department store, BHV, for gifts. They have a great kitchen section where things are not quite as expensive as the boutique shops. Their chocolate selection wasn’t great though. We stopped at a grocery store for chocolate and a big bag of Fleur de Sel de Camargue, a coarse salt we like to use in cooking that is outrageously expensive at stores like Whole Foods.
In the evening we went to Rue Tresor where friends of Jake’s have an apartment. After a glass of champagne we walked up to the 11th Arondissement near Rue de la Republique to have dinner at a traditional French restaurant that was at last filled with French people and not tourists! Our friends got traditional dishes like poached eggs with red wine sauce, sweetbreads and kidneys, but Jake got a cassoulet and I got duck breast in mustard sauce. A great last dinner!
Our last morning dawned bright and sunny at last so after breakfast we walked up to the market at St. Germain where Jake stocked up on dried fruits (including dried raspberries and kiwis) for the trip home and I succumbed to a long silk scarf as my souvenir.
We caught the train to the airport, but due to a strike, the train was packed and extremely slow. Apparently taxis were also on strike, so that wasn’t an alternative option. The flights though were all on time and there was a great choice of movies on the flight from London to JFK that kept us awake and entertained.
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