On our third day of adventuring in Paris we finally got a glimpse of this beauty...
Just peaking her little (big) head out above the city!
We continued to make our way to the d'Orsay, when I somehow got trapped in this box...
The d'Orsay is my favorite museum... for so many reasons...
One is that you absolutely cannot beat this gorgeous building... It used to be a train station, and it has the most beautiful 20th century beaux arts architecture...
The second is that it is home to the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces!
This one here I believe is a Diaz de la Pena, an artist from the School of Barbizon...
I took a pic of this (sorta random) elephant painting for Ian, since he loves elephants...
Another beautiful clock!
(With a view of Sacre Coeur in the background)
There are no photos allowed, so you'll have to excuse the fact that the few I managed to take are all lopsided... This is Manet's Luncheon on the Grass, an incredibly famous work that I have always LOVED.
Some whispy Renoirs...
The Lemon by Manet, which I loved for its simplicity and distilled take on a still life...
One of my faaaaavorite paintings ever is Edgar Degas's Absinthe Drinker... The woman looks so lonely and melancholic in the most beautiful way (...if that's possible?). It is evidence of the intense social isolation Parisians felt during the city's rapid growth in the late nineteenth century...
A better view of Sacre Coeur through a window!
A big fancy ballroom we happened to stumble into...
Another peek of the pretty Tour Eiffel...
I don't know who did this painting, but man, that baby is angry!!
Rodin's interpretation of the Gates of Hell as described by Dante...
(...eeeks!)
The big, beautiful gold clock!
Henri Matisse's Luxe, Calme et Volupte, a painting done in the Divisionist style (separation of colors!)...
I know I have already raved about a few paintings in this post, but it's just because I love this period in art history! But this next artist I REALLY love... Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. His work attests to the colorful and vibrant life he lived in Paris; He was drawn to the bohemian neighborhood Montmartre and was a frequent visitor to the Moulin Rouge cabaret, who also displayed his work. Below is a stained glass work of a woman at the opera by the artist...
Some large scale paintings of cabaret life...
Another Absinthe Drinker by Picasso, which I loooove for the elongated facial features and fingers...
I don't know who did this, but how much does it look like Anne Hathaway?!
Next we hopped on the metro...
...had a little eyelash competition...
And popped out above ground to the most gorg views of the lady herself!
Oooh la la, indeed!!
We wandered the surrounding park a bit...
And then plopped down for our own little luncheon on the grass :)
Cheers!
I kinda feel like I'm looking up her skirt in this one...
We had a quick little regroup at the apartment and then raced back out to hit the town, i.e. Montmarte!
Montmarte is a beautiful little bohemian neighborhood situated above Paris on a big hill, so there are lots AND LOTS of stairs involved...
And at the very top is Sacre Coeur! It's a gorgeous Catholic basilica at the tippy top...
People always gather on the steps to enjoy the view and someone is always playing some live music!
Ian totally ran into this little stump and tripped right over it, ha!
You clumsy, thing, you...!
I particularly loved this big red door...
Into the little town we went!
In the very middle is an Artist's Square, where artists set up shop and peddle their work...
We spotted this little cafe and decided to get some drinks and a little snack...
We sat facing out, of course, so we had the best people watching views of the square!
We split a crepe slathered in cheese!
Cappuccinos are far and away my most favorite coffee drink and I got such a kick out of the Parisian version... They all had whipped cream and shaved chocolate!
But man, were they good!
Also a little mulled wine as the temp started to drop :)
We chatted and chatted for hours until we realized it had gotten quite dark and maybe we should go in search of a proper dinner! So off we went...
More stairs! This time down :)
My Mama loves things that come in threes because it reminds her of her three babes - I thought this cheeky sign was a good one :) Three Little Pigs!
We came across the highly recommended Refuge... a fondue place!!
Signs of things to come...
All wine is served in baby bottles! You just choose red or white...
I fell in loooove with this Provencal little dishware and have made it my mission to add a full set to my kitchen...
You choose either a cheese or meat fondue and then are promptly brought a tasty little aperitif...
There are just two long tables and the guy running the show will actually pull out a chair and assist you in climbing OVER the table to get settled in, ha!
Honestly, WHAT is better than molten cheese?!?!
IS there anything?!?!
For dessert, we had orange sorbet IN an orange!
And the place filled up rather quickly...
We walked off our cheesy din by taking a little tour of the neighborhood...
Then hopped on the metro for home!
Another EXTRAORDINARY day in this lovely city.
xo
xo
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