Just add Three Letters to Paris and you have Paradise… Jules Renard

After a good night’s sleep (the first night is not bad – we are so tired after an overnight flight and a busy arrival settling in we sleep well…it is the second night of jet lag is the worst. After an hour and a half of an all out dead to the world slumber, we awaken to midnight… and then see each new hour sidle in until dawn breaks.

At this point blessed sleep returns only to be rested away by the desire to get up and out to see the city… but I digress…we rise and shine and head out to gather updated info to prepare for our stay. We enjoy a light breakfast in the apartment before heading out to the Hotel de Ville, a regal looking building, once the palace of the city, now the home to city hall and the tourist information center.

Although we have developed many possible itinerary for sunny days, rainy days, full or half days, you never know what you will find when you reach out to the locals. We are not disappointed.

We anticipated purchasing our museum pass and gathering maps and pamphlets. To our delight, our trip coincided with International  Tour  Guide Day.  In honor of this, the local tour guides were offering free walking tours.  Well, how do you say no to a walking tour … for free?  So we seal our destiny for tomorrow to walk  Le Marais.

Maps in hand and tour in place we scurry over to the bus stop to ready ourselves. Bus 69 swoops in and carries off on an unofficial bus tour of the city.  We hopped on in Le Marais, ride on through the Louvre, the Toulleries, nearing the Eiffel Tower we hop off  and stroll the park around the tower and wander to a museum we have not visited before, the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacque Chirac.

The Musée Quai Branly boasts the largest collection of non Western art. It is a very organic museum arranged by continent, Oceana, Africa, Asia,America. It is a story of civilization and the birth of societies.

Tribal masks, shields, religious symbols dating back to thousands of years BC show the evolution of a peoples. The colorful and dramatic pieces draw us in. Popular with school groups, children and adults seemed drawn to the collections. A poignant moment in our  journey occurred in the winding ramp lined with Sanskrit designs. A group of  kindergarteners who were nearing the end of their visit came upon a group of visually impaired guests, one of whom has a seeing eye dog.

For all the enchanting displays in the museum, this was a novel experience. While the teacher warned one young boy not to pet the dog, he fell into step with the man and his dog and tried to engage him with a friendly greeting.  Throughout the museum, as different the African art was from the Oceanic Art, and the Oceanic from the Asian etc, there were common themes that emerged and unite us.  It was not a Paris museum must see on our plan but it evolved to a very interesting experience. It is worth the time if you are in Paris for a few days.

 

Making our way from the 7th arrondissement back to our apartment on the left bank in the 5th, we cross into the Luxembourg gardens.  Marie de Medici (one of the aristocrats from our Italian travel days) married Louis ll. After his death she built and moved the palace and gardens now known as Luxembourg gardens.

Even on a grey February afternoon the park is bustling with young and old alike.  The park is lined with statutes of the great women of Paris. The large pool surrounding the fountain is encircled by children chasing after their brightly colored sailboats and parents, nannies and grandparents chasing after their children. It is easy to lose track of time relaxing in a chair observing the scene. Behind the fountain, the long structured garden with trees and flowers is beginning to awaken from the winter cold.  The pink and purple primrose are in full bloom arranged in straight and diagonal rows.

The flowering trees are budding pink and white. The daffodils and crocuses are beginning to reveal their colors, yellow and purple.  We walk the paths enjoying the people enjoying the park. In warmer days musicians perform in the courtyard and picnickers settle on the lawn. The wind picks up again so we zip up our jackets and walk the blocks toward home. We are determined to get our steps in (a concession to balance the wine, cheese and bread we have enjoyed!). Better stop at the Monoprix or the boulangerie on the way home.