Last Day in Paris

Today was our last full day in Paris and we had not yet been inside an art gallery! When we visited the Louvre on Tuesday we found it closed as it is every Tuesday! It was a toss-up whether to visit the Louvre today or choose one of the other galleries. To be honest we had both found the sheer size of the Louvre a little daunting so today, we decided to visit the Musée D’Orsay, I wanted to see Degas’ Little Dancers. That’s where we headed first. Down towards the Louvre, we walked along the other side of this mammoth building, along the banks of the Seine and got a completely different view of the Ile de la Cité and the buildings that create its skyline, the Conciergerie and the towers of Notre Dame the most memorable.

The Conciergerie, looking like a fairy castle!

When you walk around Paris you discover how big and close everything is, it’s only time that prevents you from walking from one end to the other, having said that, walking is the best way to discover this beautiful city. This morning we took a different route from our flat to the banks of the Seine and discovered a whole new side to our neighbourhood.

We walked along the Right Bank and again marvelled at the size of the Louvre, up ahead the Eiffel Tower loomed further along the River.

The Eiffel Tower from the banks of the Siene near the Louvre.

One of the lovely bridges that cross the river

There are faces watching all over Paris, even on this bridge.

 The buildings are all so beautiful, even those that are a little shabby have a charm about them that captures the eye. The Musée D’Orsay is on the Left Bank and there are many bridges to cross over, some for foot traffic others for all traffic. We crossed at the Pont Neuf and walked the short distance to the Musée, the entrance was ahead and around the corner. There are large bronze animal sculptures in the court at the front of the Musée, you could barely see them for the crowds that thronged there! This crowd was, on closer inspection a queue that snaked across the front of the building, down the street and back on itself several times. This was a queue we just could not face.

The queues snaked back on itself several times outside the Musée D'Orsay.

Under the foot bridge that we crossed to get back to the right bank 

The stairs that lead under the Quai des Tuileries

 Plan B, next on our list of galleries was Musée L’Orangerie, in the Jiardin des Tuileries, back on the Right Bank almost opposite the Musée D’Orsay. We found a foot bridge and crossed there. This bridge was wide and had a ramp in the middle that led down to the river where many boats were moored. once on the Right Bank we had to take an underground passage to cross under the Quai des Tuileries, a very busy thoroughfare.

The entry of Musée L’Orangerie looks out over the Place de la Concorde. The queue here was manageable, probably only 30 or so waiting to be admitted. We joined the queue and after a short wait were admitted into this quite modern gallery, when we tried to pay the entry fee we were told “It’s free today.” Now that explained the huge queue at the other gallery. The first Sunday of the month in most galleries and attractions in Paris are free!

Musée L’Orangerie was showing the photographer Helmut Kuhn, photographs from early last century that looked like black and white impressionist paintings. The exhibition was set up in the lower rooms, it was a bit of a labyrinth and seemed to go on forever. There was also a display of the collection of the gallery benefactor’s collection, complete with small models of his apartment set up to display how the paintings were arranged around his home. There are works by Matisse, Corot, Deloraine, Cezane, Renoir and Picasso and in two dedicated round galleries at the top of the building famous Selphides his huge water lily paintings executed towards the end of his life. This area is treated somewhat like a shrine and signs everywhere ask for quiet. Photography is allowed in here as long as you don’t use a flash, this is the case in many of the places we have visited here.

Musée L'Orangerie

I was surprised that I could freely photograph the paintings, this still life was by Cézanne

We moved down into the Place de la Concorde to explore the many statues and monuments there. At its centre is the third century Egyptian Obelisk from Luxor, carved with hyroglyphs its gold tip reaches high towards the heavens. This monument was a gift from the Egyptian government in the 1800’s and when you stand at this point and look along the Champs Elysees you are looking directly Arc de Triomph, this road runs directly under its arch. From here you can also see the Eiffel Tower and several other impressive buildings, complete with classical columns. The Paris equivalent to the London Eye stands between the Obelisk and the entry to the Jardin Tuileries. There is a carousel and a mini fairground around at its base. There is a lot to gape at in the Concorde, 7 large statue groups that represent the areas of Paris, defend the entrance to the city here. Marley’s great steeds guard the River Siene.  Twin fountains sit one each side of the Obelisk, these stand out from the other sculptures because of the glowing gold that adorns the bronze mythical figures with a nautical theme.

The Egyptian Obelisk in the Place de la Concorde

Looking down the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triumph

One of two gold adorned fountains that sit in the centre of the Place de la Concorde

Leaving the Place de la Concorde we headed along the other boundary of the JardinTuileries towards the Louvre. Set in the wall here are what appear to be little flower boxes with plaques above them dedicated to the memory of men and women who died a Hero’s death in the name of freedom and their beloved France.

these little flower planters are dedicated to men and women who 'died for France' the plaques above them record their names

We had left our flat just after 9am and had been walking almost non-stop we were now feeling both little tired and hungry, we also need to find a place to use the internet and a phone. We went in the direction we thought we’d spotted internet cafés on an earlier walk, no luck! Ditto the phones, although there were plenty of phones around but none were coin operated and we neither had nor knew how to purchase a phone card!! Desperation was setting in as I struggled along feeling my hips and back groan now as it grew colder. We had to phone the agent to arrange the hand back of our flat keys and the return of our 250 Euro deposit. As a last resort and under protest, we walked to  Rue de Faubourg St Denis where I had used a seedy little internet café on our way to find Gare du Nord. This proved to be a wise decision as I was able to check my email get a number to phone to arrange the hand over and use the phone, all done with a minimum of fuss! The time it took also gave us a bit of a fest and I found it more comfortable  and easier to face the rest of the walk home. By this time it was almost 5pm we hadn’t eaten since breakfast and we had traipsed all over Paris. I thought our mammoth effort deserved cake!