We reached the Musee D'Orsay and waited in line for about a half hour, when we learned the line was so long because the museum is free on the first Sunday of every month. Yay!! We each saved nine euros, the equivalent of $12-13! Judith and I were too busy playing the "make up stories" game in line for me to take any photos. So I'll use this one from the day before. The museum fronts on the Seine. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I got a decent shot of the museum over the bridge. It's the building with the black gambrel roof and two very large clocks.
Judith and I managed to meet up with Amanda, and we all three decided it was time for lunch. Rather, Judith and I were famished--Amanda had already eaten, but she was ready for a snack. The following photos were taken in the "café" where we ate. A little side story on this ... I took every chance I could to practice saying my eight words of French. When we entered the café, Judith had lagged behind a bit in the hall so the hostess didn't see her. The hostess said, "Deux?" and started to pick up two menus. I quickly responded with, "Non. Trois." And she immediately picked up an additional menu. I was so pleased with my little self.
It was hard to focus on the menu with the beauty all around.
There had been signs posted all over the museum about not taking photos, but there were no signs posted in the café. Besides, I figured if they didn't allow photos in there, the wait staff would say something, and they never did. Many other patrons snapped away also.
The one place I wished that I had taken more photos were the two other cafes, where you could see the gigantic clocks from the inside. Many people took photos there. Not sure why I didn't. The one place I did not take any pictures was of the art inside the museum proper. Many signs posted all over the place forbade it. Unfortunately, that didn't stop way too many people from still taking pictures.
The three of us had split up to view the paintings and other art that most interested us individually. We then met up in the main hall where a number of large statues sat. Since my feet were killing me, I was the first one at the meeting place. After five minutes I got bored looking at the same statues in front of me, so I opened the screen of my camera to review my trip's photos. Amanda came along soon after that. I was showing her all the photos I had taken in the Cotswolds when I heard someone (with a very heavy French accent) over my left shoulder say, "You should not have taken those photos." I turned toward the voice and said, "Excuse me?" A female uniformed museum employee stood before me. She said, "You had no right to take those photos in here." Since I had seemed to be the only patron not taking pictures in the museum, this red-blooded American girl was immediately hot under the collar, especially since this employee had not witnessed me in the act of taking any photos, nor had she seen any of my pictures on my camera screen. She had wrongly assumed that since I was showing Amanda pictures on my camera, those pictures had to be of the art, right? I stood to face her. She was maybe five feet tall and weighed about 90 pounds. I, on the other hand, am five feet nine inches tall and weigh considerably more. She physically backed away as I leaned toward her and said, "I did not take any photos of the art in the museum. Here. Take a look at my camera. I was showing my friend pictures of my vacation." Of course, I'm sure my face looked quite threatening as I took a step toward her and she backed away in haste. Mumbling something I couldn't quite make out, she retreated further and left in a hurry. If my feet hadn't hurt so doggone much, I would have reported her to a superior.
Can you believe that in three days spent in Paris, that was my only bad experience?! It's actually quite comical now when I replay it all in my mind. I'm sure the poor girl was scared to death once I stood up and snarled out my reply! And poor Amanda! She had to be wondering what this Yank was about to do! No worries, Amanda. I've never been arrested nor thrown out of a place for bad behavior and don't ever plan on placing myself in that position. I will, however, stand up for myself when wrongly accused. And thank you for standing up to her for me, too. Only your way was so much gentler. Maybe I'll eventually learn. Or maybe not.
Since my feet were hurting so badly, the three of us decided that a taxi back to the hotel would be in order. We found one quickly just outside the museum. Turns out that when the driver found out I was from the States and my friends were from England, he had to turn up the volume on his sixties music and convince us how much he loved the old Beatles music and other artists--including American--from that era. This convincing included our own personal concert from him. I secretly hoped that he could sing and navigate Parisian streets safely at the same time. By the time we got back to the hotel, the three of us couldn't hop out of that taxi fast enough, lest he give us an unsolicited encore. When the taxi pulled away from the curb, we all had a good laugh and sighed with relief.
Once we rested up for a couple of hours, it was time to go back on the metro and head out to the Arc d'Triomphe. I didn't realize until after we got there that the arch heads up the Avenue des Champs-Elysees. And there is a huge roundabout with the arch in the middle! The sun was just beginning to set when I snapped typical tourist's photos.
They told me that the best photos are taken from the middle of the Avenue. Yeah, the way those people drive, I wasn't about to risk my life for that. Besides, the sun would be coming directly through the arch. I think the two photos above will suffice just fine.
We didn't walk far when we found a sidewalk restaurant serving Italian. Our waiter was the most charming, attentive Frenchman. As I sat at the table looking at my two friends, the nearby arch with the glow of the sun below the horizon, and the traffic of the Champs-Elysees whizzing by, all I could think about was how magical it all was. I was in Paris, eating at a sidewalk café at one of the most iconic places on earth. It was a veritable vortex of joy. Thank you, Amanda and Judith, for making it so.
After dinner we of course had to stroll down the Champs-Elysees. Amanda pointed out a building across the avenue--Louis Vuitton.
One of the things that was on my "would like to do list" was to see the Eiffel Tower at night, all lit up. Unfortunately, the feet had started silently screaming again and we went in search of a taxi stand. I did get this shot before we hopped in to go back to our hotel. Oh, well. Next time.
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