Day two of Paris: Musee d'Orsay

This morning for breakfast, I had a brioche with Nutella and OJ. Tired from the night before, I proceeded to do touring on my own in Paris. I took the Metro from Nation station (where Johan lives) to Concord on Line 1. I then proceeded on a correspondence train on Line 12 in the direction of Marie d'Issay. Exiting through the Assemblee nationale stop, I got off at the Rue Lille. I headed to the Musee d'Orsay by following Rue Lille with a lunch sack of a Chicken and Ranch sandwich and a small Coca Cola. I got there and saw the massive structure that was the Musee d'Orsay, and I had to wait 25-30 minutes in line to get a ticket. Fortunately, the line ran pretty smoothly. The place resembles a train station on the inside and had several points of interest that I passed by.

(1) The Impressionism and Post-Impressionism exhibit. Here I viewed the works of Edward Degas, Renoir, Manet, and Gaugin. It was a brisk passing by but I felt a genuine appreciation for the work. Another post-Impressionist I saw was Seurat with the world-famous "Cirque" painting.

(2) Statue of Honore de Balzac. Of course, as a nineteenth century buff, I owe so much of my interest in literature to Balzac. It was interesting to look at his sculpture while seeing the whole of the atrium of the museum.

(3) Greco-Roman statues

(4) Vincent Van Gogh's paintings, including his "Portrait de l'artiste."

(5) New Exhibition: Jean-Leon Gerome (1824-1904). Painter, sculptor, photographer, drawer. HIs work incorporated a lot of Neo-classical accents with mythological elements. For example, his painting with Daphnis and Chloe. Gerome was a painter whose work told stories and it is evident through a walk in this exhibition. It was a truly fascinating display of variety in his art.

After visiting the Musee d'Orsay, I proceeded to find a place to have lunch. So I crossed over and walked until I found the gigantesque edifice of the Louvre. I stopped to have lunch in a spot overlooking the Jardin des Tuileries and facing the pyramid at the Louvre. After marveling the largest museum of the world, I did some random wandering all over the place just to enjoy my own personal "wanderlust" in this truly remarkable city. I passed through the Jardin des Tuileries with the golden fall foliage. The yellows are bright and crisp just like the fall air. How much I truly love autumn, and in Paris, how much better it feels! I crossed the Seine and took some pictures and then looked to the Eiffel Tower. Little did I know, I had to hike a long physique-molding 4 miles in city shoes to get to the base of the tower. I didn't take the Metro and couldn't find a nearby station, so I did the traditional walking thing. I passed by the Assemblee nationale (one of the legislative bodies of the French government). Finally, after passing another museum (of African and Caribbean cultures), I arrived at my destination-- Le Tour Eiffel. I sat down at a bench, looked at the line at the base, and decided to turn back around to return home in the 20e arrondissement. I was tired and needed some rest to gain more stamina for the rest of my stay.

So I looked for a toilet, took a picture of the Tour Eiffel, and hiked another 0.75 miles to find the Metro station. After looking everywhere, I finally found the station, Ecole Militaire (note to self, use this station next time), got on, and headed back to spend the afternoon with Johan.

Johan's girlfriend, Camille, arrived today from Lyon by TGV to spend the weekend in Paris doing tours. We had dinner at 21h in a nice little local restaurant just across the street. I had a Lalandaise salade with foie gras, bacon, chicken, basalmic vinegar, bread, and a glass of warm, red wine (Emillion). So good and 17,50 euros. It was enjoyable, I feel full, and after a full day of touring the city, I prepare to get some shut eye and perhaps, get 9-10 full hours of sleep with Daylight Savings Time beginning tonight at 2:00am. Tomorrow promises to be enjoyable with visits to the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Maison de Balzac, Arc de Triomphe, and Montmartre! Happy Halloween to all American friends.