All lit up!

Last night in the City of Lights, Jamie and I rode the bus (quite easy really) to the Trocadero, across the Seine from Tour Eiffel and watched the tower glow. Although we went an hour later than the boat ride, we were still shut out from the sparkling dance that occurs on the hour. 

Here's the sequence:

Do you like my hat? We're not very accomplished at  selfies yet.

And finally, ta-dah!

Whoop-de-do! It's the Pompidou!

Yep, we went to see Modern Art today, of course this Modern Art has been overtaken by newer forms including Post-Modern Art. The modern art we saw at the Pompidou Center was on Level 5 and covered from 1905-1960 or so, the other levels bring the museum up to date! But--

before we left we went down to the usual fantastic place for a little breakfast--no photo because imy breakfast was the same as yesterday's-- anyway, after walking down the spiral staircase you saw the other day, I looked up and:

 Cool, huh? Art is everywhere!

It has certainly been everywhere I've visited! I've followed art through time from the Greeks and Romans to Jackson Pollack with medieval and Renaissance well represented. It has been amazing and wonderful!

Since it isn't only my feet that are tired, Jamie, Hideko and I took a cab over to the Pomp. It wasn't far, but we knew we'd be on our feet all morning. We were glad we did!  Now, let us begin.

Here it is, the very modern, modern art center of Paris--

 See Hideko and Jame?

Rick Steves describes the building as having an exo-skeleton since all the heating, cooling, plumbing, electricity, etc. are on the outside. It's a fascinating structure, you'd like it too.

So, now we're inside

and going to Level 5, the only level we visited. What visual and intellectual delights awaited!

Even before we entered the building from the escalator, we got these views:

Good ol' Sacre Coeur on her hill

and the Eiffel Tower!

They are certainly Art themselves. I am thrilled every time I see them! Really--thrilled!

A rarely seen Picasso because it has been kept in the family.  Looking at an earlier Cezanne, I can get a glimpse of how she evolved.

Here's a Chagall like I've never seen:

And, from the American section, Georgia O'Keeffe:

Her work is amazing, leaves me breathless!

 

    Vasily Kandinsky, purely abstract Expressionist

 Wow! There's our staircase!

 Sculpture--Picasso, I think--with the Eiffel Tower.

 Picasso the artist as Harlequin--alone and unfinished. The painting IS finished, of course, but an artist never is.

 An Iranian artist, whose name I havemisplaced, sorry.

From the outside viewing area of Level 5.

Of course there were many, many more works of art; it was fabulous! We had planned to see more, but our feet and brains cried, "Enough!" So we went to eat! Isn't that what any sane person does?

 Isn't she lovely? 

We enjoyed shish-kebob and couscous.

Then we made our weary way home, I napped, and Hideko and Jame visited the Centre du Monde Arabe--an educational center explaining and introducing the arabic world, which is much misunderstood. 

Finally, from our breakfast patisserie, a little snack for dinner--

As we returned, the sun shone on the church across the street--

 How cool is that?!!!

Jamie and I will be going out this evening to watch the Eiffel Tower twinkle and glow in the evening light; remember how it wasn't dark yet when we took our boat tour? We hope to see it light up at 10:00, riding the bus both ways. You'll have to wait for those pictures until tomorrow.

So, a demain!

Paris: A great city for breakfasts!

It must build strong bodies 12 ways, don't you think? A simple cafe latte (not ala Starbucks) and a miniature quiche lorraine! Oh, my goodness, how perfect is that!

And just for fun, this is the view out the front door--after going down two flights on the spiral staircase I showed you the other day, passing through a courtyard, then out a very, heavy door:

We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto!

We then walked through the Left Bank via the Sorbonne toward the Pantheon, which we'd planned to visit, but no! Something was going on! 2014 is the 100th anniversary of WWI and there are many speciall exhibits around the city, so we weren't too surprised. Just look at these:

This altogether(!) inappropriate fellow was standing on the sidewalk half a block away--

After learning that we would not be able to eat dinner until 10:00 tonight at a place we wanted to try, we gave up on a dinner reservation, we wandered through lovely, relaxing Luxembourg Gardens:

This lively statue honors Eugene Delacroix, a dramatic, romantic painter. 

 Cool statue, isn't it?

We had visited Boulevard St. Germain, so we visited the namesake Church of St. Germain des Pres, apparently the oldest church in Paris. Inside the church is painted, and though it is faded now, it was once quite bright and colorful. Here is one of the many statues:

Lots of sidewalk cafes in the area--

Now a culinary question: When you think of Paris, do you think of churros? You should now!

 They were good, and it was fun.  

We did a little shopping (very little!) in the pricey shops of the Left Bank, including the Bon Marche, which was founded as a small shop in 1838! 

We ended our sight-seeing day at Musee d'Orsay, which has the Impressionists! Alas, no photos allowed, but you know who they are: Manet, Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, etc. Stunning work, it was a thrill to see it again, even with a crowd. Not all who attended were art fanciers though:

 Funny, the one guy opened his eyes and gave me a look!  

Through that clock window (the museum building had been a train station), I could see Sacre Coeur on its hill:

Lots of walking today, we're all three tuckered out, so I guess it isn't just my advancing years!

For example, I'm not as old as SHE is!

A demain!

June in Paris--then, if ever, come perfect days!

I know I posted this already, but yesterday was Hideko and Jamie's anniversary!! It was a great day to celebrate, and we did our best to fill it to the brim!  We began wandering around the Latin Quarter seeking a restaurant to make dinner reservations; turned out it ws closed on Mondays, so we'll try again today. Here is one of the buildings up there:

Narrow, winding streets--picturesque!

More of the iron work that makes Paris look Parisian:

And--surprise!--ranks of chimney pots!!!

All the way to Montmartre next, up to Place du Tertre, although the 'place,' or open space like a town square, is now full of cafe tables!

We enjoyed a lovely meal here of moules (mussels--freaking amazing!) and frites (they don't call them French fries), another Croque Monsieur (grilled ham and cheese just a little different and so good,) and, to maintain some nutritional standard, a salad with tasty tomatoes! We shared all three, a lovely meal outdoors in a place I'd eaten twice before--fun to be back!

The perimeter of the Place is lined with artists selling their wares--

Great fun to wander around and gawk, some were doing sketches or caricatures of people. 

The to Sacre Coeur--remember this take from the Eiffel Tower?

That's Sacre Coeur on the hill, far away...

and now, approaching from the shady side, 

and seen from the front:

It's a magnificent, majestic building, different from the Gothic churches all around the city. Naturally no photographs were allowed inside; it is decorated with mosaics.

When Chuck and I walked to Sacre Coeur from our hotel in Montmartre those years ago, we saw a cemetery of little house tombs; this year Hideko, Jamie and I walked through the peaceful, almost quiet place in a swale within the city:

Notice the ironwork on the doors.

Back down the hill now to wander the Marais district, but we were side-traced by this fountain adjacent to Pompidou Center--It is named for Igor Stravinsky, the composer--

Isn't it fun? What a place to meet a friend on a day like this!

For a lazy, inexpensive dinner (hopefully saving up for the nice place tonight!) we sat in a cafe for a couple hours like real Frenchies, staying out until our 9:30 boat tour down the Seine began. We hoped to see the Illuminations, but one problem: it's almost the summer solstice, and it just didn't get dark until the cruise was over! Still it was lovely being on the water...

See?! It's after 9:30, and the sunset is just beginning to reflect on the Musee d'Orsay!

Eiffel Tower not yet illumined, but suprising every time I see it--

It's getting a little darker...

Walking home following the cruise, Notre Dame was lit up--lovely!!!

Isn't that something! I really am in Paris!!! Dr. Seuss was right when he wrote, 

"Oh, the places you'll go!"

A demain!