d'Orsay Museum

Even though some of us sleep in some mornings; we always seem to be out the door after breakfast in the apartment by 10:30 am.    The sun was shining but it was still cold enough for jackets!  We were in our sandals sans socks and got some unusual looks from the Parisians that are dressed for fall.  

The Metro took us to the d’Orsay Museum and we scooted around to the back door for the Museum Pass Entry; by passing the long lines at the front door!   

This is the last day of our Pass…we’ll miss the ease by which we enter the museums!   I did figure out the savings; we purchased a six-day pass for 69 euros each.  I totaled up the various entrance fees where we have used the pass and with two entrances into the Louvre we would have spent 105 euros each…and that was only counting one trip to Versailles.  As you can see; a real savings plus having the privilege of using the Priority Entrance instead of the long ticket lines.

We spent two hours at the d’Orsay; spending most of our time on the fifth floor enjoying the French Impressionist paintings.  The clock tower is always fun for photos.  Rules will not allow photos in the exhibit halls so you’ll have to take my word for the fact that it was a joy to view these masterpieces

again.  Bonnie and Jane stayed another hour at the Museum and Mary and I started walking from the Museum to the bridge that has our lock; the Pont de Arts walking bridge.  It was a cold wind that we braved to look through all the piles of locks in the area we remember putting our lock last April.  Mary had brought copies of my photos to help us located the lock.  We did find the right area but was unable to actually hold our lock in hand.  Maybe I’ll be able to find it at Christmas!

We continued walking all the way along the Seine River to Notre Dame; a long walk for Mary who is suffering from pain on the top of her foot where the cart rolled over her foot while she was asleep on the airplane on the trip over.  Yes, she was partly to blame as her foot was in the aisle.  But, she was limping by the time we arrived at the Crypte Archeologique Musee near Notre Dame.   In the 1960’s they excavated the area in front of the Cathedral for an underground parking garage.  During the excavation they salvaged the historical finds and created a Museum.   It was extremely interesting.

Mary and I headed back to the apartment; slowly, visiting the cat Issy at our hotel in 2010 and 2012.  Stopping to look at all the souvenir shops along the way.  We also stopped at Shakespeare and Company and found the beds tucked into alcoves in the upstairs for starving writers to use!  We were home by 5:00 pm and enjoyed an early dinner in the apartment.

Bonnie and Jane continued to enjoy the Crypte Museum and then explored the Cite and Ile St. Louis on their own; learning all about navigating the streets of Paris without Martha.   It was after 7 pm before they returned to the apartment and then left again for dinner in a nearby restaurant.

Tomorrow we move to our new apartment.  Rain is predicted so it will be interested.  Hope you enjoy the slideshow, it’s very small tonight!