Picnics Indigo

Last seven days - yikes. There is still some final research to do, people to see and places we want to visit - where has the time gone?
We had arranged to meet Maité at the Jardin des Plantes for a review of the research and decided that a picnic would be much nicer than an office meeting. Marcia prepared the food (we would pick up a baguette on the way) and Maité would bring desert. We gave ourselves plenty of time to stroll around before the meeting as this had not been possible before (and I had another meeting at 3). There are really three parts to the gardens (originally created in 1626 as the King's herb garden and known as the Jardin du Roi) - the formal landscaped area with trees, shrubs and garden beds (including the Rose Garden, created in 1990). the botanical training area, and the zoo.
There are specialised buildings, such as the large Art Deco Wintergarden (which appears similar to drawings of Josephine's large hothouse at Malmaison) ,and the Mexican and Australian hothouses (all of which have been under repair since before 2005 and therefore inaccessible). The Jardin des Plantes runs a botanical school, which trains botanists, constructs demonstration gardens, and continues to exchange seeds to maintain biotic diversity (about 4500 plants are arranged by family on a one hectare plot) but it looked a little sad the day we visited). The zoo was constructed in 1795 to house the animals from the royal menagerie and is now world heritage listed as an example of its type.
Maité introduced us to another artist who works with vegetable dyes and had recently had an exhibition at the gardens. Although she uses a variety of vegetable dyes in her work Betty works predominately with indigo and invites us to visit her studio later in the week to see the process.
The next day we are off to the Bois (wood) de Boulogne which is a large park located along the western edge of Paris. The wood covers an area of approximately 2,090 acres, which is 2.5 times larger than Central Park in New York and 3.3 times larger than London's Hyde Park. There are thirty-five kilometres of footpaths, eight kilometres of cycle paths and twenty-nine kilometres of riding tracks. The wood has a history dating back to 717 and also includes the Longchamps racecourse, the Chateau de Bagatelle and the Jardin d'Acclimatation (now mainly an amusement area for families and children). Sounds a bit daunting but our plan was to visit Guimard's other remaining metro station at Porte Dauphine then head into the wood for a short walk and a picnic. Simple really - Metro to Etoille (Arc de Triomphe) then a stroll down avenue Foch (very wealthy, homes of Princesses and movie stars) take photos of the metro station then cross the boulevarde Peripherique into the wood. It all went according to plan until after our picnic in a shady spot under the trees when we decided to continue on down the path and arrive at Porte Maillot for the metro home. A beautiful day (one of those great to be alive days) and the scenery was most enjoyable - lightly wooded with patches of dense forest and open parkland, steams and ponds and, eventually, a large lake complete with picnickers, lovers and fishermen. The problem was that when we walked out into the street nothing made sense - there were no references that we could link back to our map (which covers all the arrondissements of Paris). It took some time but eventually we realised that we had walked right across the wood (not along the eastern edge as we thought) and ended up in Neuilly sur Seine which is, technically, one of the suburbs of Paris even though it is 'outside' (beyond the Peripherique). It is also, according to Wikipedia, one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe (but very upmarket).
In the evening we attended a performance at the Cite by another Japanese pianist - a contemporary piece by a Finnish composer followed by an absolutely amazing rendition of a piece by Liszt.
Wednesday was a final visit to the Musee des Arts Decoratif to review the first five years of Art et Decoration and say our farewells to the staff who have been so helpful. After a final lunch in the Tuilleries gardens (where a giant ferris wheel had been set up along with other carnival rides for the summer - seemed very incongruous) we set off for Betty's studio. The studio is in a street adjacent to the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise which is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris and is reputed to be the world's most-visited cemetery, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the graves of those who have enhanced French life over the past 200 years. It is also the site of three World War I and WWII memorials. We have been here several times in the past and decide to take the bus to the top of the cemetery and visit some of the graves as we walk through to the studio. Rene Lalique and Sarah Bernhardt (who helped to make him so famous with all the pieces he made for her) along with the writers Moliere and La Fontaine are along the path we choose and, as we near the bottom of the cemetery we find ourselves in the Avenue des Acacias which is probably a fitting end to our Paris journey (not a dead end but a stop along the way).

Betty's studio is narrow and multi level and reminds us of a Japanese workshop. We share tea and she tells us about her work which is primarily focused on using indigo (which is created by the action of bacteria working on the plant in a kind of soup kept at a constant 25 degrees and fed on bran) to dye natural fibres in a traditional Japanese style which she learned while working in Japan for three years - it is beautiful. She also teaches, consults on interior design and exhibits (such is the life of an artist the world over). In a book on Japanese art and Art Nouveau I come across an image of a Paris door by Guimard which she says is quite famous and gives directions on how to find it. Betty was born on the left bank and grew up in Paris so it is fascinating to compare our impressions over the years with her experiences of the city.

Fête de la Musique

Saturday, time to see one of the two remaining original metro entrances by Hector Guimard at Abbesses (I have a memory of visiting this place after lunching with Raymond in 2005 but it is a little dim - perhaps it was the wine with lunch). Bus from outside the Cite to Pigalle then a short walk up the hill to the "village" which is located on western side of the butte (hill) of Montmartre. The station's entrance was originally used for the Hotel de Ville metro station near the Cite, but transferred to its current location in 1970. Abbesses is also one of the deepest metro stations in Paris at 36 metres and, although you can walk down the stairs and admire the poster images of the area (the original artwork was heavily covered by graffiti) most people (including us) use the lift.
Up a narrow street we spotted the sails of a windmill so continued to climb the hill to look at one of the last remaining examples these workhorses made famous by Van Gogh, Signac and Renoir. We passed an interesting example of brickwork within the wooden frame of an old shop and finally arrived at the gates of the park only to find them closed and marked propriété privée. Disappointed, but happy to at least have discovered this remnant of old Montmartre, we headed back down to the village to use the metro to get to Passy to look at an old covered market.
Just across from the station was an unusual "modern" church which attracted our attention. It turns out that the old church had fallen into such disrepair by the late 1800's that it was pulled down and a new one built and opened in 1900 which is why it has a Nouveau'ish appearance.
The Passy market was a let down but the area was interesting as it is not far from Trocadero and the Eiffel Tower and is very upmarket. By now the skies were threatening and we decided to jump on a bus heading in our direction - just as well, as a few minutes later the heavens opened and we could hardly see anything out of the bus window (thank goodness for the bus/metro pass).
Sunday is the Fête de la Musique when musicians, choirs, orchestras, bands and anyone who has a yen to, are performing in streets, parks, churches, public buildings (including the Opera and Conservatoire). There is so much going on that it is hard to make a choice (I think I read somewhere that there are over 350 performance happening during the day) so we decide to take the easy option and stick to a walkable area from the Cite i.e.within the Marais. We are keen to hear the choir and organ in St Eustache (near Les Halles, the site of the old Paris Markets) so head there first - they are as good as we had heard and I manage a couple of 3 minute videos on my camera before we have to rush off to the Market at Bastille for our weekly shopping before they pack up at 2.
After lunch it is off to Place des Vosges (which was built by Henry IV between 1605 and 1612 and is believed to be the oldest square in Paris). There is so much history attached to this place and many famous people, such as Cardinal de Richelieu (the first 'Prime Minister'), Victor Hugo (writer), Théophile Gautier (poet) etc., etc. have lived here and it was on our list of places to visit. It is impressive, from the first view up the short rue de Birague and through the portico into the garden filled square. The three levels of uniform housing are built over vaulted arcades filled with restaurants, shops and galleries and there is music everywhere - choral groups, lone artists, a rock group and a young family group - it is a feast for the senses. Back home to recharge the batteries and it's time for a classical concert in the auditorium of the Cite - mind blowing performances by a Japanese opera singer and Japanese classical pianist. Afterward we wander around to the Hotel de Ville where an African drum group are performing and up through rue des Archives and back home via rue Vieille du Temple (this is the gay heartland of Paris, the streets were crowded and the music was really pumped up). Everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves and just happy to be 'dancing in the streets' but we were happy to head back to our quiet haven for a quiet drink to celebrate the day - a day of musical extremes, a feast for our auditory system and all within walking distance of our home. Unfortunately the camera had died at Place des Vosges so we have no images from the evening.

Nureyev and Sennelier

Back at the Bibliotheque chasing scraps of information which might make sense of what I already have. We were trawling through back issues of Arts and Decoration from 1895 when we received a call from Lee Vanders who had just arrived on the Eurostar with her partner. We had arranged to meet them at the Cite for lunch so packed up and returned to the studio where Marcia prepared a marvellous salad from our selection of fresh market produce. I know I keep going on about the fresh produce but even Lee was amazed at how fresh and tasty everything was - in fact, I was reading an article recently by an Australian woman who had lived in Paris for some years and she was lamenting the fact that most of the "fresh" food in Australia has been in cold storage for months before it even hits the shelves of the shop. Afterward we strolled around the area and ended up at Berthillon's on the Ile st Louis to sample their famous sorbets - yummm.
Next day it was back to Arts Decoratif for more research (it's now a race against time as we count down the days). At four we went for a stroll through the Tuilleries and across the river to Rue Voltaire to look for the apartment where Nureyev lived out his last years (tragic hero worship, but he was the man who changed forever the way dance was performed in the West).
Nearby I discovered the original Sennelier shop (1865) with 3 1/2 floors of small rooms packed with art supplies - the middle floor had small Sennelier printing presses (too expensive and heavy for the luggage unfortunately). On the top floor was a paper room with sheets and rolls from all over the world which had me drooling and there was another room completely full of easels of every shape and size. Thinking of baggage limitations I settled for a drawing pad and some pencils. From there it was back to the Jardin des Plantes to find out about two books which had been referenced in Art and Decoration. Here I learned that one was in a special library called the Bibliotheque Cryptogamie and that I would need to phone and make an appointment to see it. The other was in the Bibliotheque General upstairs but they were closed so it looked like a job for the following week.
Friday morning we had planned to go the book market at Vanves but when I phoned the Cryptogamie the lady informed me that I could visit straight away so onto the metro, through the Jardin des Plantes to the address in rue Buffon and an unremarkable entrance labelled laboratoire Cryptogamie. A push on the intercom elicited no response so we set off to explore and found another very ornate entrance inside the gardens but everything appeared deserted. Fortunately a door to a lab was open so we asked directions to the bibliotheque only to be given a blank look. I showed them the piece of paper with the phone number on it and they called the librarian who came to collect us and take us to the first floor where I was able to access the book after showing some ID (expired Uni ID) and having it taken from a locked cupboard. We thought the whole thing was a little weird but discovered that the building is in the process of being vacated so that it can be completely renovated and there are only a few people still working there.
Since the trip had been successful we decided to postpone the visit to Vanves and go see the last book in the Bibliotheque General while we were in the area. A short stroll back through the gardens with me telling Marcia about my visit in 2005 and the twice weekly research visits to the Salle de Lecture this time, and we were in the building which I have visited at least twice a week for the past six weeks. BUT as we went to go upstairs to the general library we were stopped by the security guard who told us that we could not go upstairs without a library card. I explained that I had been visiting the Salle de Lecture (on the ground floor) but now needed to access a book on the second floor - no, no card no entry. I should say that the card he was talking about is actually issued on the second floor (so how do you get one if you can't go to the second floor without one) and when I had tried to obtain one on my first visit I was told I didn't need one. Suddenly a smiling face appeared and greeted me like an old friend - it was one of the very obliging young ladies from the Salle de Lecture who vouched for me and offered to escort me to the second floor (Marcia had to remain in the lobby). After showing ID and filling out numerous forms I was issued with a library card (bring a photo tomorrow for the official one) and the librarian went to fetch the book I was after. Sometimes the bureaucracy in France does get to you but usually you are able to work around it - this was the second time I had had a run in with the security people at this particular place so I am extremely grateful for the introductions which made it possible for me to get my work done at the Jardin des Plantes.
Returning to the Cite we discovered that two of the residents were in the process of constructing an installation as part of the weekend Fete de la Musique festivities (it will be interesting to see what the weather and the birds do to it in the meantime)

Dinner with Depardieu

Saturday we decided to make an early start and stroll down the Champs Elysee before all the tourists arrive (early in Paris means before 10am as most shops don't open before that). A pleasant day and a good opportunity to study some of the surviving Art Nouvea buildings - interspersed with modern travesties including maccas and subway. There were a couple of arcades which we had not noticed previously as well as new ones with all the brand name shops (just like any mall anywhere in the world).
At the end of the main shopping stretch we jump onto a numer 24 bus which is heading across the river toward Sevres-Babylon - perhaps we will get some lunch at the Bon Marche Epicerie. The bus heads down past the old haunts in the 7th, around the Ecoloe Militaire and along ave de Breteuil where we spot a market we have not seen before so we decide to jump off and investigate. This remarkable market is set up like all the others down the centre of the road (ave de Saxe) but unusually, it is staffed entirely by French shopkeepers. This may sound strange for a Parisian market but we have usually found the markets to be staffed by a mixture of French and Arab shopkeepers with lots of noise and shouting (like the Italians at Paddy's Market in Sydney). At most markets there are supplies of plastic bags and you help yourself before handing the bag to the stall holder to weigh but here it is all strictly ne touchez pas and one waits to be greeted and served personally - slow but refreshing. In fact, watching a French woman shop is an education as she discusses the shape, colour, size, etc before agreeing to purchase what the shop keeper presents to her or asking for an alternative. We settle on a lapin terrine and salad piémontaise which, together with a baguette, makes for a very French lunch in the adjacent park. Back on the 24 we head for Montparnasse where we will transfer to the 96 for home.
Walking around the back of the tower we discover that there is another market where the Sunday Art Market is held and, since it is getting late we drop in to see what's on sale - large crunchy spiced, stuffed green olives, a bag full of mixed lettuce and a large bag of zucchini and we're off home at last.
Sunday we stay in waiting to hear from a friend and I work on trying to make sense of the latest gleanings from the Bibliotheque. At 1pm we phone them and leave a message before heading off for the Bastille market - this is undoubtedly the best market in Paris both for quality and variety. Emerging from the metro we discover that we are at the finish line of a fun run (which explains why the bus we were going to catch was diverted). There is a group of Swiss Alpenhorn players playing by the Bastille memorial which is interesting enough to make a short movie of before crossing to the market. We really only visited the markets to get some cheese, oranges and apples but soon discover that most things are marked down because it is near closing time. We collect cheese, corned beef (home made - yum yum) and eggs then load up with apples, oranges, peaches (1 euro/kg) strawberries (2kg/5 euros) and vine ripened tomatoes (1 euro/kg) and struggle back to the metro with our haul.
A friend in Hobart sent us an email telling us about Gerard Depadieu's Le Fontaine Gaillon restaurant which is near the Opera and we have made a booking for lunch on Tuesday. Not sure what to expect but the write up by Decanter (http://www.decanter.com/archive/article.php?id=275270) sounds fascinating and by 1205 on Tuesday we are settled at our table just inside from the terrace where we can catch all the activity. Marcia opts to have just a main but I'm ready for the 3 course menu.
One of the specialities of the house is oysters and I select an entree of minced raw salmon, oyster, echalotte and parsley which arrives in the form of a rectangular mold - exceptionnelle! My main is grilled fish steaks (possibly swordfish) but Marcia's is a whole large whiting which has been filleted by splitting it along the back and removing the bones and then lightly deep fried. The accompaniment is sieved mashed potato and egg mayonaise (with chunks of egg).
Dessert is a triple sorbet and each scoop is enclosed in it's own brandy snap basket . Although Marcia has opted for just the main the waiter had also set a place for her with each course and she couldn't help but share the sorbet which was superb (it has to have been Berthillion sorbet which is the best in Paris). While we had been waiting for the dessert the waiter had placed a small plate on out table with a selection of bite sized petite fours (sesame snap, coffee macaroon and apricot jelly) and he now gave us another (just to push us over the edge while I was enjoying my cafe express).
2 1/2 hours to enjoy the best meal we've had since De Niro's Nobu restaurant in New York and we stagger away from lunch needing a long walk so decide to revisit Galleries Lafayette to relook at the interior design which we have discovered was designed by Majorelle, the famous Art Nouveau artist from Nancy.
Eating out in Paris is definitely something to experience but we would rather buy remarkably fresh produce from the markets and prepare our own and save our money for something exceptional like Depardieu's Le Fontaine Gaillon rather than dine out regularly on average restaurant food - not snobby but we do appreciate excellence.

Nostalgic Paris

Time seems to be passing even more quickly since returning from Nancy so we thought that we'd better do the nostalgia thing before we run out of time.
In another life we both worked for Qantas and so we travelled quite a lot including coming to Paris in 1986 to get married. The ceremony took place in the Australian embassy (which is not far from the Eiffel Tower) and then we spent a lot of time running around Paris via the Metro taking pictures of ourselves in romantic places before retiring to Maxims for our "wedding breakfast". This was before the days of lightweight digital cameras so we dragged the Pentax SLR and tripod with us everywhere we went, set it up, and stood back waiting for the timer to count down - it was fun, especially having to doff our coats and stand in the chilled air pretending that it was a warm summers day. Now we do the same as everyone else, hold the digital camera at arms length and press the button.
We had always stayed in the same hotel in rue St Dominique in the 7th arrondissment. The hotel is about halfway along this long narrow street which runs from boulevarde St Germaine (near the Musee d'Orsay) to Parc du Champs de Mars (the long grassy park that runs from the foot of the Eiffel tower to the Ecole Militaire where Napoleon was trained as a soldier). Since we are now staying a long way from this area we decided that we would catch the Metro to Trocadero (from where you overlook the Parc and the Tower) and walk down the hill, across the river, under the tower and along the Parc in the opposite direction to our old walks. We hadn't realised before that the tower building at Montparnasse (the first high rise in Paris) is in a line of sight with the Eiffel tower from Trocadero.
It's all changed of course even though it remains superficially the same. The buildings are dirtier, there is graffiti on the granite, the crowds at the foot of the tower are incredible and the grass in the parc is fenced off. Nevertheless it IS memory lane for us and we talk about how it was and what we did and how much our lives have changed since those days. We also recognise that for most of the people crowded around the tower waiting their chance to ride up and look out over Paris from this 109 year old "temporary" structure it is all fresh and new.
By the time we get to middle of the Parc where rue St Dominique begins a light rain starts to fall so we find a bus going in our direction and jump aboard (one of the benefits of a monthly pass with unlimited travel). Amazingly it travels the full length of rue St Dominique and eventually drops us off one block from the Cite.
On Wednesday, on our way back from Porte de Champerret we got off at place de la Madeleine where Fauchon's is located which, as Frommer's Guide says, "is a hyper-upscale mega-delicatessen that thrives within a city famous for its finicky eaters. It's divided into three divisions that include an épicerie (for jams, crackers, pastas, and exotic canned goods); a pâtissier (for breads, pastries, and chocolates); and a traiteur (for cheeses, terrines, pâtés, caviar, and fruits). Prices are steep, but the inventories -- at least to serious foodies -- are fascinating". There is also a Brasserie Fauchon where you can wile away the time (and your money) enjoying things like a "Paris-Brest, a ring in the shape of a bicycle wheel that's loaded with pastry cream, almond praline, butter cream, and hazelnut paste capped with almonds". We decide to conserve our funds and our waistlines and continue on past the church (which is based on a Greek temple design similar to that of the Pantheon) to rue Royale and Maxims. The restaurant is closed but next door they have opened up a gift store where you can buy almost anything with the Maxims label on it - merchandising to the max (another souvenir to take home from Paris!)
In a side street we stumble across an unusual market which seems to have been set up to promote delicacies from various parts of rural France. There are wines and cheeses and dried meats and we are intrigued to discover the largest brioche we have ever seen.
Afterwards we turn up rue du Faubourg st Honore past all the "name" shops including Chanel, Hermes, Lanvin, Cartier, Boucheron (I just discovered a "mimosa" diamond brooch this week made by them for the 1889 Exposition) to the "heavy" end of the street where the British and US embassies are located alongside the Elysee Palace (where the French President resides). Understandably there is more security here than we have seen anywhere else in France. One side of the street is blocked off and there are police everywhere, not only guarding the front of the buildings but directing the traffic and making sure that it keep moving quickly past the palace. Security appears to be a way of life in France today. There are armed security, police or soldiers patrolling on buses and trains and around all important sites such as train stations and buildings like the Louvre. In fact, while we sitting in the bibliotheque at Arts Decoratif this week a group of three soldiers (they all travel in groups of three) with automatic rifles at the ready walked past the window looking very purposeful (a constant reminder of wars that always seem so far away when we are in Australia.
On the way back we turn into Place Vendome where the column at the center was erected by Napoleon to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805. It is made from cannon from the battle and the statue of Napoleon crowned with laurels is on the top. It is also the location of the Ritz hotel where we came for afternoon tea the day after we were married. Nothing appears to have changed but if you look beyond the facade of some of the old buildings you see new structures made from very modern glass and steel. As we were leaving a young girl stoops down in front of us and picks up a gold wedding band and asks if it is ours. We tell her it is not and start to move off but she says that we should keep it anyway for luck. We tell her to keep it but she insists and pushes it into our hand. As we go to leave she asks for some money for coca cola and we realise that our first instinct had been correct - she was a nicely dressed gypsy and this is just a new trick for collecting funds.
Thursday, a visit to the old Bibliotheque National de France (BNF) in rue de Richelieu which traces its origin to the royal library founded at the Louvre by Charles V in 1368. By 1896, the library had become the largest repository of books in the world and was sought out by intellectuals from all over the world e.g. it was the place where Lenin came to study before the Russian revolution. Most of the books have now been moved to the huge new Bibliothèque François Mitterrand on the left bank of the Seine (down past the Jardin des Plantes) but there is still an art library here (we couldn't actually get past the lobby as we do not have a readers card which accesses the automatic doors). It is a grand old building and reminds one of the New York public library or the old Mitchell library in Sydney.

Old Favs

Sunday -we decide to make another attempt on the Louvre as it's the first Sunday of the month and FREE. Out the door at 8.30 and onto the metro at Pont Marie to Rivoli-Louvre where we know there is a connection straight through to the underground Louvre Carrousel entry so we won't have to stand around in the cold waiting to get in. After wandering up and down various Sorties we give up and head for the Rue de Rivoli exit and across the road to the Pyramides entrance - long queue and the wind is blowing so we walk up Rue de Rivoli to the Carrousel entrance from the street. The queue is backed up halfway to the escalators but at least it's warm.
9 o'clock on the dot and everyone begins shuffling forward hurried along by a group of attendants who separate the bagged from the unbagged who have to put their bags through the machine - very efficient and before we know it we are through and into the central area under the glass pyramid.
Having already obtained a copy of the layout and planned our attack we headed straight for the Mona Lisa (well you have to at least have tried to see her while you are there). All the new marble everywhere is a little disconcerting but as we turn a corner and look up the stairs we see the Winged Victory of Samothrace at the top and realise that some things have not changed. However, we are on a mission and pass by with hardly a glance and head down the long familiar corridor to the room where the prize is located. The crowd is not too bad and we see that they have added two extra barriers since we were here last as well as raising the picture up the wall somewhat (I guess so that people can see it over everyone else's head).
A couple of quick pics and it's back the way we came to spend some time with other paintings that we like (seems strange to be going against the crowd but confirms that we made the right choice and are able to enjoy ourselves while others are rushing to get to Mona).
Back to Winged Victory which is a 3rd century BC marble statue of the Greek goddess Nike (Victory) - it has stood the test of time well and still looks great. After a stop in the Apollo gallery to marvel at the early glassware and exquisite enamelled snuff boxes we take a shortcut through the Greeks and Etruscans to get to the French Objects d'Art in the opposite wing. This is not as simple as it sounds even with a plan and maps in every other room because sometimes a corridor runs off from a room that is parallel to but not actually accessible from the room that one is in. Nevertheless after a number of false starts and dead ends we finally make it to the other side. This wing, known as the Richelieu wing, was opened on November 18, 1993 marking the two hundredth anniversary of the museum's creation. It parallels the Rue de Rivoli and ultimately becomes the building for the Musee des Arts Decoratifs and we have not been here before.
Entering from the end farthest away from the Tullieries we find that everything is organised sequentially from C17 to The July Monarchy (1830-1848 - remember Delacroix's Liberty...) and it is an interesting part of the Louvre that we have not had the opportunity to explore before. We end up in the Napoleon III apartments which show the opulence that still remained part of the leadership of the time and was probably something to do the Louis-Phillipe's overthrow.
As it is 11.30 we decide to break for a coffee before the top floor and the Dutch/Flemish painters. We manage to capture a table on the mezzanine floor and decide to eat our sandwich with the "cafe express" while watching the crowds pouring through the pyramides area - Grand Central Station at peak hour cannot compare. The stairs and escalators are completely filled with people arriving but there are some making their way out (probably to rejoin their tout bus).
The Dutch and Flemish painters are not a school we are particularly interested in especially without Rembrandt and Vermeer's Lacemaker is away in Japan which is a pity. Next it's the French paintings which we find more interesting (but Ingres' Turkish Bath is also missing and there is no Liberty...).
By now we are starting to get a little footsore but there is one more "must see" so we head back down to the ground floor and across to the opposite side via Pharaonic, Egypt sculptures to find Aphrodite buried in a sea of people. Actually we are quite lucky because this area is soon to be closed down for renovation and when we get to the statue we see why - it is very dirty and marked from people touching it. I make a short movie to capture the noise and movement of the crowd (even though its too big to post here) and we manage to squeeze into a space large enough to get a photo. Despite the crowd it is good to go out on a high and we head for home to put our feet up and enjoy a well earned cup of coffee. This time we actually do find our way to the metro directly via the Carrousel - it actually comes out on the platform for another line and we need to use a connecting passage to get to our line 7.