I’ve already noticed a much slower pace to the day - I spent most of Friday reading in the Luxembourg Garden, which is quickly becoming my favorite place in Paris. It is unbelievably pretty - the flower beds are so well maintained, the lawns groomed to perfection, architectural interest everywhere, and there is always a comfortable lounge chair. The people watching is also pretty good, so when I get tired of reading, I can just look up and be entertained. This place is so close to my ideal spot that I can usually even ignore a few major annoyances - mainly fearless pigeons that will dive-bomb at you when you least expect it and a marching band that plays right outside the gates. Despite this, I still love spending time there.
Yesterday was a pretty exciting day because I got my membership to the Musee d’Orsay! French museums are awesome for people under 25 because they sell annual memberships for super cheap (e.g. 11 euro for unlimited access to the Musee d’Orsay and l’Orangerie, and free admission to their lectures, concerts, etc.) The only downside is the amount of paperwork you have to fill out initially - although it was my fault because I did it wrong the first time! After I finally got the pass, I did a quick tour of the museum. It was really busy so I didn’t spend that much time there. I also think its way better when you do some reading before, so I bought some books and will be back soon!
Its seems ridiculous (and entirely awesome!) that I’m a twenty minute walk away from, and have unlimited access to, the world’s most incredible art collections. It feels amazing and totally surreal that the hardest decision I have to make today is whether I want to see Da Vinci and Vermeer at the Louvre, or Degas and Van Gogh at the Musee d’Orsay. It is seriously incredible!
But actually, I have to go to the Louvre today because my computer charger is being weird and there’s an Apple store close by (fingers crossed its open on a Sunday). For the last couple of days, whenever I plug my computer in, it kind of vibrates through the metal parts when I touch it, like a mini electro-shock... I’m no computer genius, but this is probably not a good thing. I am deeply attached to my computer, so lets hope its fix-able!
Anyway, here are some pictures from the last couple of days when Matt was here...
We went to the Père Lachaise Cemetery and saw Jim Morrison and Chopin's graves... It was creepy. And, even though it was pouring, there was a pretty steady stream of people wanting to visit Morrison.
Also, I made the culinary pilgrimage to Berthillon yesterday. It was unbelievable and way beyond any ice cream I’ve ever had, and unquestionably worth the 20+ minute wait in line! I got three scoops (they were small) of pure dairy bliss - vanilla, caramel, and pear. The vanilla and pear are tied for favorites, but I have a lot more sampling to do before I can make a definitive choice. I was going to take a picture but it was too hot outside and it was melting too fast, maybe next time.
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