![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
It's 8:15 pm, and I'm sitting in my apartment, munching potato crisps and drinking wine, coming full circle from almost three weeks ago. I can't believe my stay here is almost over. This will be my last post from Paris; I may/probably will make at least one more (I've got a list of "I love... " and "I don't like..." in my Paris Moleskine notebook) when I get home, but I need to pack away my laptop soon. It's been so great having my laptop with me. Somehow, I just don't write as much when it's by hand - my brain works faster than my pen can, but typing seems to be just the right hand to brain ratio.
I wanted to make today special, and it was in unexpected ways. I had planned to go down to the Isle St Louis again, but didn't make it, partly because it started pouring with rain around noon. However, I did make it down to Les Deux Magots for breakfast and then out to the Marmottan Museum. I'm SO glad I went there! Yes, there are Monets there, but if truth be told I'm getting a bit blase about Monets (heh, listen to me - blase about Monet!). The ones there were interesting because they are from late in his career, and I've just been reading some recent speculation that his style changed later on because of failing eyesight, and you can really see a difference. (I've actually had a private theory that all the Impressionists had bad eyesight, but that's another story...). There were two things at the Marmottan that I was grateful to see: one was all the Berthe Morisots. She has got to be the most underrated artist. I think she's better than Renoir, who in my opinion is sentimental and over rated. There was a little drawing of a girl with her cat that is just perfection itself.
Then, miracle of miracles, there was a whole ROOM full of bits of illuminated manuscripts, and these just had me in raptures, almost in tears, they were so beautiful. The difference, seeing them "live" so to speak. I could have spent hours there, and did spend a long time just raving and muttering and blinking away tears (yes, I'm nuts, but never mind).
So afterwards, I headed out into the rain and just by chance stumbled into a cafe near the metro station, where I had the most wonderful lunch of duck with peaches and pomme dauphinois and a glass of Bordeaux wine and coffee (that's where I eavesdropped on the disgruntled women tourists). Then I stopped off at the Champs Elysees and dropped into the Virgin Mega Store (which is the best "record" store in the world, or at least the best I've ever been to) and then came home.
Now I just have to finish packing. I've spent all my Euros, and much of the next few months' salary :) But it's been a wonderful, wonderful holiday.
I wanted to make today special, and it was in unexpected ways. I had planned to go down to the Isle St Louis again, but didn't make it, partly because it started pouring with rain around noon. However, I did make it down to Les Deux Magots for breakfast and then out to the Marmottan Museum. I'm SO glad I went there! Yes, there are Monets there, but if truth be told I'm getting a bit blase about Monets (heh, listen to me - blase about Monet!). The ones there were interesting because they are from late in his career, and I've just been reading some recent speculation that his style changed later on because of failing eyesight, and you can really see a difference. (I've actually had a private theory that all the Impressionists had bad eyesight, but that's another story...). There were two things at the Marmottan that I was grateful to see: one was all the Berthe Morisots. She has got to be the most underrated artist. I think she's better than Renoir, who in my opinion is sentimental and over rated. There was a little drawing of a girl with her cat that is just perfection itself.
Then, miracle of miracles, there was a whole ROOM full of bits of illuminated manuscripts, and these just had me in raptures, almost in tears, they were so beautiful. The difference, seeing them "live" so to speak. I could have spent hours there, and did spend a long time just raving and muttering and blinking away tears (yes, I'm nuts, but never mind).
So afterwards, I headed out into the rain and just by chance stumbled into a cafe near the metro station, where I had the most wonderful lunch of duck with peaches and pomme dauphinois and a glass of Bordeaux wine and coffee (that's where I eavesdropped on the disgruntled women tourists). Then I stopped off at the Champs Elysees and dropped into the Virgin Mega Store (which is the best "record" store in the world, or at least the best I've ever been to) and then came home.
Now I just have to finish packing. I've spent all my Euros, and much of the next few months' salary :) But it's been a wonderful, wonderful holiday.
Tags:
no subject
Love reading over your travel logs. There's been the expected arts and foods, but blended with adorable little personal observations. Sounds like it's been a marvellous trip. So glad you've had a nice time! You deserved it!
no subject
no subject
no subject
Your doggies will be glad to see you, no?