Everyday MRM

It's five months into the year already, and I've lost count of how many blog posts I'm backed up on. I figured I could just keep writing down bullet points of past entries, and I'd get to it sooner or later. Funny thing about "sooner or later" is that it's never actually either. So we begin again. I'm in New York. Brooklyn really. It's raining out. The streets are slick and shiny, and I've just returned from a two hour shopping excursion into the Financial District for some discount designer wear. After battling the invading Chinese (and French and Spanish... not Russian), I paid for my things and escaped.

The fog followed Jor and I back into Paris from Versailles. We met Rachel back at the flat and enjoyed some of her Eiffel Tower brandy. It was horrendous, but look at the bottle!    After a good pre dinner drink, we decided to take the Metro up to Sacré Coeur. I loved the apartment that Rach picked out on VRBO. It meant we had to walk towards the Tuilleries and pass by this every night. Gorgeous! Of course every restaurant closed at 10pm. We got in right under the wire at some mediocre tourist eaterie. Rach and I proceeded to order spaghetti and something, while Joren ran off to take pictures of the church. He was gone so long that I had to track him down in the streets! I think the Eiffel brandy had something to do with it. 

Five days into Paris, and we were faced with some tough decisions. Versailles or not Versailles? We'd basically gone to museums every single day, so Rachel decided to take the day for her own brand of sightseeing. Jor and I decided to brave the chilly air and head out to the country. I'd seen Versailles many years before on a school trip at age 16, but since then the historic community had put a massive amount of money into the restoration of the old palace. It gleamed. I don't think there is too much to say about Versailles that the pictures won't say for themselves. So I'll just comment on the fog, the gorgeous, creepy, chilly fog. And the brilliance of the gold and mirrors. And the haunting gardens.

When I lived in Paris way way back (I can't believe its "way way back"), my first apartment was in the 7th. I lived in a chambre de bonne which is like the maid's quarters. My flat was on floor six with a walk up staircase. I used to practice my numbers when walking up the stairs. It was a tiny little room and an even tinier little bed, but what sold me was the view. When my parents and Mema visited way way back, they toured Les Invalides, but I never went in. Every morning I was woken with sunlight hitting the top of that sparkling gold dome. It flooded my room with pink and gold light. So today, thirteen years later, I finally went to visit Napoleon. We spent a Very Long Time in the armoury, and this is how it happened. We walked into the Armoury Museum and viewed the large open space filled with medieval knights swords and horse body armour. After about 10 minutes, I think Rachel was done, but I happened to peek my head around a silv...

Did you think the museum's were nearly over? We're just getting started. The Louvre was up next, but first a stop at l'Orangerie. This guy is museum crazy. It's a good thing he brought a terabyte of photocards to fill up. I think he might have used them all. Early in the day, Jor and I lost Rachel. Somewhere in l'Orangerie, since I spent way too long look at the Monets, I think Rachel decided to cut out early and head to the Louvre. She's got her own schedule to follow, and it was checkmarked and color coded.  Since technically I'd already spent time in many of these spaces, I was content to just follow those who wanted to experience as much as they could. As it was, when I finally left the waterlilies, Rach had vanished.  Joren and I sat around outside l'Orangerie for awhile waiting for her to appear from inside the museum. When she didn't, I went back in to look, and finally we decided she must have gone on to the Louvre. S...

The next morning dawned bring and early at ten am! On the docket was the Musée d'Orsay. First though, an ambling walk across the Seine. Paris in November is usually grey and overcast like this. And maybe because the clouds lay low in the sky, there's a delicate beauty to the light that no other city has. At least none that I've seen yet.  Musée d'Orsay was crowded! I guess November isn't really a slow season. Mostly we were in the midst of school tours and Chinese tours. It started sprinkling while we were in line. Joren asked me to hold the umbrella over him while he put his camera away. I was not a good holder. He got wet. I did not. I'm sorry.   We made up quick and got inside to get our tickets. Sadly, the museum did not allow photography, so Joren was a starfish out of water. He really experiences things through the lens, so I don't know how much he remembers of this part of the trip. He snuck one good shot though. The d'O...