Paris, Day 2 - museums and such

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'Orsay has some truly remarkable pieces and while it doesn't have the enormity of the Louvre, I think you can see that they sacrifice no grandeur. 

After a few hours in the museum, it was time for lunch. We wandered down the street and found a little bistro near the museum district that served lunch at 3pm. I think we all ordered paninis and café. I'd been craving a croissant for decades, but this was not the place to get one. 

After eating, we got on the Metro and went into the Marais. I'm not sure who's decision this was, but it turned out to be a good one. The Marais is a fun evening district and I wish we had eaten here instead. Regardless, we visited the Paris city history museum in the Hotel Carnavalet. A gorgeous museum occupying two neighboring mansions, the Carnavalet has art from the Renaissance till today, but my favorite part was the French Revolution period. 

After Carnavalet closed around 6, we walked back towards the Marais metro stop, and while trying to decide what to do for the evening, I ventured into a pâtisserie on the corner. It was the first real pâtisserie I'd encountered, and I knew I'd found my croissant. I bought one for myself, and then Rachel took a bite and needed her own. We went in and bought two more, plus two pain au chocolates. Rachel ate hers piping hot, but Joren had gone into a grocery store to look for something and when he came out, his pain au chocolate was starting to cool off a little. Still, for someone who doesn't experience chocolate the way I do, he knew he was eating something special. 

I wish I had that pâtisserie around the corner from my house. 

Fortified by our breads, we headed back towards home for some champagne and another evening walk. 




Location: Musée d'Orsay, 5 Quai Anatole France, 75007 Paris, France

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