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| Bathers with a Red Cow by Emil Bernard and Thatched Cottages at Cordeville by Van Gogh. |
In the morning we went to the Musée L’Orangerie, walking along the Seine, through the courtyard of the Louvre and the manicured, tree-lined Jardin des Tuileries, then left at the Place de la Concorde. There we found the discreet building that houses Monet's lovely waterlily paintings, two circular rooms lined with the eight huge panels in a presentation that manages to be both subtle and awe-inspiring. On the lower level, the museum is the Walter-Guillaume Collection, which includes works by most of the 20th-century powerhouses: Renoir, Seurat, Sisley, Picasso, Cezanne, Gauguin, Rousseau, Utrillo, Matisse... Also, stroke of luck, they had a traveling exhibition of the works of Emil Bernard which was outstanding, especially for a representation of the rapid changes in art from the close of the 19th century through the first half of the 20 century.
Musée D’Orsay
After lunch we hit the Musée D’Orsay, a monumental structure back on the Left Bank, as airy and open as the Louvre is not. It was packed, but the museum, a former train station, is so well laid out and spacious that it never feels crowded or cramped. Filled with seminal works of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, the collection includes 25 works of Van Gogh. Both the Musée D’Orsay and Musée L’Orangerie are must-sees for anyone visiting Paris.
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| (Left) A building facade on the Rue de l’Université; this street run roughly parallel to the river and starts out as Rue Jacob in the Latin Quarter and turns into Rue de l’Université where it intersects with Rue des Saints-Pères. (Right) Shirley in front of a flower shop on Rue de Buci. |
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| Exterior and interior of Galette Cafe. |
Galette Cafe
We went to dinner at Galette Cafe at 2 Rue de l’Université. Everything was wonderful. Our waiter added L’addition, s’il vous plaît (“check please”) to my gradually expanding vocabulary. After the meal, we chatted with newlyweds from Canada (the young wife was a celiac, so they'd sought out this place for the gluten-free options and had returned several times). For food, staff, ambiance, and location, this was definitely my favorite eatery in Paris. The quality fare and an atmosphere of conviviality can't be beat.
On the way home, upon advice from the Canadian honeymooners, we went to the Passerelle (Pont) des Arts to watch the Eiffel Tower light show. The footbridge, located between the Institut de France and Louvre, was pleasantly populated with families and tourists, picnickers en plein air, couples and men hawking assorted kitsch. All around us sparks of light and life: as we crossed over high above, the city lights flickered off the river between the wooden slats, a trail of sequins in our wake.
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| The Eiffel Tower lights up for ten minutes at the top of each hour from sunset until 1:00 a.m. |
