Paris
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| Paris |
I haven’t been to Paris
since I was 23, so this July my high school buddy Ginny joined me on a 9 day
campaign to visit every church and museum in the city. With the help of the
minutely detailed See Everything in Paris Spreadsheet I spent days generating,
we did manage to cover quite a lot of ground, but intrepid and indefatigable
though we were, 9 days wasn’t nearly enough.
We got to all the usual
must-see sites – Notre Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, Musee d’Orsay, Louvre, etc. etc. I
won’t itemize them all – but trust me, if you’ve heard of it, we were there. And
if you haven’t heard of it, we were still probably there. The Louvre is
unbelievably huge and daunting. Between Ginny’s interests in Medieval and
Islamic Art and mine in Ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian Art we spent hours in
galleries that most people would pass through quickly.
Much to my delight, my
MFA Staff Pass got me into the recently renovated L’Orangerie. Monet’s Nympheas,
8 huge paintings showcased in two oval rooms, are spectacularly displayed. The
Musee Marmottan also an amazing collection of Monets. We loved the Lady and the
Unicorn Tapestries at the Cluny and the Fouquet Jewelry Boutique (the ultimate
in Art Nouveau) reassembled at the Carnavalet. The Guimet has an incredible
collection of Asian art, although some of the Cambodian collection reminded me
all-too-much of the Elgin marbles. The Opera Garnier is over-the-top opulent –
go there especially if you don’t have time to get to Versailles.
Next time you’re in
Paris, be sure to take the time to get up to St Denis. It’s the first true
Gothic church, the brain child of Abbot Suger. The architecture soars, and the
stained glass and statuary are magnificent. It’s also of significant historical
interest, as most of the kings of France are buried there.
We got out to
Versailles at a time when the fountains were on, but missed most of the display
because we were waiting for the @$#*&^ little train that takes you to the
Petit Trianon. Marie Antoinette’s Hameau, where she played at being a
shepherdess, has to be seen to be believed. We also ventured a bit farther
afield.
Giverny is an easy day
trip and very worthwhile. It’s a charming town and Monet’s house and gardens are
beautiful. What an eye for design and color he had. And after seeing all those
paintings of the water lily pond and Japanese bridge, it’s a near-religious
experience to see the originals. Chartres, a beautiful medieval city, is another
easy day trip. (Plus, it’s open on Mondays.) Malcolm Miller, the resident expert
and author of guide books, does English tours of the Cathedral (year-round
except August and Sundays.) He’s quite a character and extraordinarily
knowledgeable. I now have a whole new appreciation of stained glass.
I don’t have too much
to report food-wise. We were so pressed for time that we seldom sought out
specific restaurants, usually eating at whatever café was nearby at mealtime. I
tended to favor foie gras and pates, while Ginny ate her fill of escargots. Food
may have been expensive, but the wine was cheap and good.