Musee D'Orsay: #1 tip for visitors to Paris

I have not exactly picked up the ball and run with it, or some other athletic metaphor. But January through mid-March has been another wild ride (why do I think my life will be quieter or run more smoothly or peacefully? It is a delusion I am consistently seduced by...)

But here is Paris share 1/50: The Musee D'Orsay.




Musee D'Orsay, from across Seine

Forget the Louvre. well, don't "forget" it, but let's get real: the Louvre is a wonderful repository of artifacts and global art--but if you want to "know" Paris go to the Musee D'Orsay. Spend a morning there, after which your entire Paris experience will be richer, deeper, more complex and interesting.

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 9:30*-6 (except Mondays); open Thursday nights to 9:45 pm.
Cafes: 3 inside; carts outside, and nearby cafes (tourist prices)

The museum is a renovated train station and it is one of the most difficult interiors to navigate. Pick up a map. To get to the 5th floor: go directly to the rear of the main floor and take the escalators at rear center all the way to the top. To get to the niveau median: go left (East) or right (West), up one set to steps and down the long hall of rooms which open into/through/around one another.

Interested in Monet? Manet? Degas? Van Gogh? Toulouse-Lautrec? Gaugin? Caillebotte? Renoir? Courbet? Corot? Any painter/sculptor/designer/photographer of the 19th century? You'll find them here, in juxtaposition with their peers. If you pay attention, this is as much about the evolution of Paris during the 19th century as it is about the evolution of art.



For Impressionist Rooms: walk down this central hall to rear, take escalators

When heading for the Impressionists, ignore everything else.

In specific order, here's what you must see:

1. The Impressionist section (fifth floor, SE corner). This is the intense collection of paintings and sculptures by Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, and their associated pals between the 1860s and 1880s. Come early to avoid crowds, ignore the tourists filming (instead of looking at) the paintings, and find bliss.
2. The pastels and drawings of Degas, Lautrec, and others--same floor. Smaller, intimate dark rooms to preserve the materials/media.
3. Van Gogh, Lautrec and later post-Impressionists:W side, 1 staircase up from entry floor, Rms 71-2 (Niveau median).
4. Individual (free/unticketed) exhibitions.

Of course, if you have a ticket to a special exhibition, these are usually very popular and crowded, so go there after #1 (Impressionists are ALWAYS the most crowded and thus annoying rooms.)

Impressionist Rooms, Musee D'Orsay

If you are interested in decorative arts or early/mid-nineteenth century art, go there last. I say this because these rooms are always empty and you will not be battling crowds. You can then enjoy these spaces at your leisure. Both are rich, rich, rich in materials: you will find yourself nearly hypnotized by the holdings.

Last---but far from least!--go to the bookstore. Even if you are uninterested in art history books and textbooks, this is one of the best museums shops in Paris. It is filled with great gifts for children (or wonderful stuff for your children of all ages, if they're with you), mothers & mothers-in-law, and everyone else. This bookstore is not as good as it used to be, and yet it is superb.

My final recommendation: buy your ticket (or tickets) ahead of time. If you do so, you will eliminate all standing in line: you will sail by all those standing outside as if you were Queen Elizabeth (or Wills and Kate). I suggest buying through FNAC, if only because you can open an account and buy all your museum/event tickets early here, print them before you leave the US, and enjoy waving royally at the wilting peeps in the "line."

*If you do not have a ticket, be in line by 9:15 am to get in nearly as soon as the museum opens (May-Sept); if you do have the advance pre-ticket... see "Wills/Kate" note above.

Directions: The museum is located on the Left (South) Bank of the Deine, directly across from the Louvre. It can most easily be reached by taking the #12Metro to Solferino, or the RER C to Musee D'Orsay, or walking across the Passarelle Solferino from the Quai des Tuileries. Here's a map. It is a longer, but lovely walk from the Place de la Concorde across the Pont de la Concorde and along the Seine.

Associated museums:
Musee Marmottan Monet, 16th arrondissment: Monet, Morisot, Renoir in small museum
Musee Victor Hugo, 4th arrondissment: Hugo's home with special exhibitions. Bonus: located in the Place des Vosges!
Musee de l'Orangerie: 1st arrondissement: special exhibitions of Impressionist painters
Musee Carnavalet, 3rd arrondissement: a museum of the culture of Paris, medieval to modern times. Bonus: location in the Marais district!

Parisian market bike

If I were in Paris... Friday, January 13, 2012

Of course, if you're a Friday the 13th-a-phobe, you'd stay home. Or maybe because the weather is only a cloudy 46 degrees. Brr...

This might be a good day to visit the newly refangled Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature, the Museum of Hunting and Nature. This is one I've never visited, but it is in the rue des Archives, in the Hotel de Guenegaud. The museum is not far from the Place des Vosges (another reason to go!) and is housed in two 17th & 18th-century aristocratic homes, preserved for this museum.  One houses the hunting part of the museum, and the other, the celebration of animals in nature. Paintings, tapestries, sculptures, and the various tools and equipment of hunting and animal preservation are presented; during the 16th through 18th centuries, hunting wasn't just a royal sport, it was one way that humans interacted with nature, where the preservation of the landscape, the forests and wild parts of "civilized" estates was key.

Currently there is a rather subversive exhibition by Francoise Petrovich, where she has placed her scupltures in rather irreverent juxtaposition to the art and implements of the hunt. Comic and controversial, the exhibition continues until January 22.

You can follow up by tucking into a nice cafe meal of lapin aux lentils.

Or at the Petit Palais, the final days of an exhibition about La Comedie Francaise, showing the company's treasures from close to 338 years... since the 1673 formation of the troupe after Moliere's death. The show includes paintings, sculptures, archival documents, stage settings (in miniature), and other objects from the company, actors, actresses, directors, playwrights, and designers.

And, at the Musee Balzac, is an exhibition dedicated to "la grisette," a female figure of the early 19th century, the dressmaker, seamstress, and servant. One hundred works--visual and literary--are part of this exhibition on the young, working class female professional... and her life, personal and professional, between 1815 and 1850, as Balzac's world embraced her.

If that doesn't appeal to you, you can take the Metro to the 18th and see Kathputli, dancers and marionettes from Rajasthan. This traditional Indian dance art--combining live dancers but focusing on puppets--is rarely seen by Americans. On Fridays, starting tonight until the end of the month, the show runs two hours from 7-9 pm.

Or, at the Odeon, one can see one of the great 19th-century French classics, La Dame aux camelias, orignally written by Alexandre Dumas and starring Jeanne Balibar, the French actress and singer. According to the description, this is a bit of a deconstruction of the original play, ironic rather than romantic, perhaps verging toward the notion of 19th-century realism rather than melodrama... which is where the play (and later film) have come to reside. This might be a very good twist on the rather dated (and puritanical) classic version.

Personally, I'd include a visit to Angelique for some cocoa--simply to warm my bones!

Planning for Paris

Next summer I'll be in Paris before teaching at Oxford, again.

What will I be doing? Of course, going to Tolbiac and researching -- happily! Visiting museums and raiding their bookstores, as well as finding at least one, new museum. Walking the Seine and riding the Metro and sitting in cafes enjoying the sights.

What else will I be doing? I'll be stocking up on my favorite items that I cannot get outside of Paris.
Like:

Repettos. The classic ballet flats, on sale in July.

In 2010, I bought classic flats in a textured black. I can't wait to see what's available in June 2012, but I plan to buy two pairs.

Mixa lip balm. Wonderful stuff, in a drugstore lip balm.

Great scent, great texture, buttery soft balm.

Monoprix cashmere. Yes, good quality cashmere in Target-level clothing.

Good enough for Ines and me!

I have two gorgeous v-neck cashmere sweaters -- just like this! -- from Monoprix. I wear them once weekly during winter, and they have yet to pill, they hold their color, and I love them.

Pharmacy and Monoprix brands of skin care: do not knock it!

Avene, Nuxe, and other fantastic stuff I can stock up on, trying new products -- again, once the sales start everything is disounted, too.

Lush Happy Hippy. In the good formulation... not the US version.

Happy shampoo/bodywash combo with the brilliant scent of fresh-squeezed grapefruit!

Tea. Specifically, Mariage Freres Tea.

I spend at least a couple of hours in one of their shops deciding which of the many black, white, green, or red teas I want to take home.

Ahhhh, happy pre-summer thoughts.

If I were in Paris... November 12, 2010

I would probably be staying out of the way of the protestors. Oy! All France will be out, since the bill raising the retirement age from 60 to 62 is now law as of Wednesday.

It would be a good time to take a brisk walk, perhaps over in the 16th arr., in the Bois de Boulogne area. Few protestors will probably be here, simply because it is out of the way, far on the western side of the city. However, that is not to say there are not some lovely museums and sights in that area or nearby. The Maison de Balzac, home of the famous writer is here (I've never been!). The Musee Guimet, home to a collection of Asian art and artifacts. The Musee Baccarat (crystal and glass), the Musee Clemenceau, the Musee Galliera (fashion and costumes--small but stunning), the curious Musee de Contrefacon (museum of counterfeiting: I must go, next time I am in Paris!), Musee de l'Homme, and the ever-delightful Musee Marmottan-Monet, where a collection of Monet's work hides. This arrondissement holds more museums on more topics than any other section of the city!

I also love this part of the city because it is the "city" of Gigi and Paris's 19th-century playwrights and novelists. This is where the upper middle class families lived in apartment blocks. Les cocottes (some actresses) came here to show off the carriages, horses, furs, jewelry, and couture clothing bought for them by their lovers, and made the staid housewives and daughters envious.

It was a great place for rendez-vous, this "woods" on the outskirts of Paris, more refined than the Bois de Vincennes on the eastern part of town. And near the great racetrack.

And there is great walking: wide avenues with great viewing of people and buildings. After a while, the 16th is all the same, but it is always pleasant.

There is also the great walk of Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore/Rue Saint-Honore, which takes you through the 16th and down into the 1st. A lovely walk ith a 19th-century history, starting at Place des Ternes and ending near Les Halles.

Then one can eat in the inexpensive but again delightful cafe in the Trocadero Palace, entered from behind (away from the Seine). I might even walk all the way to the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de l'Etoile.

This time of year, when dark comes early and the lights are so gorgeous on the boulevards, I love to eat inside cafes and watch out through the windows. They all seem cosy, and the basic French fare is so hearty: roast chicken, onion soup, etc. Even having a simple crepe becomes wonderful, since it is warm and you are warm and the lights are so bright.

If I were in Paris... Friday, October 29, 2010

The point of cafes is... nothing.

Well, that's a dramatic statement but in some ways very true. I am stting here, now, in a coffee spot in the Big D with a friend, and we're working. She has her laptop, her iPad, her keyboard, her Blackberry... all on. And she's listening to music (I think) through her headphones connected to said iPad.

I have my laptop, my iPod (playing Philip Glass's soundtrack for The Hours), and my phone.

I see 3 folks on laptops, with phones or headphones. Another 2 with notebooks, writing and scratching; one is doing Bible study.

Two women with children chatting... and five people in line for take-away coffee.

If I were in Paris, I might have my laptop, but more likely a book or notebook, scratching away not at "work" of any kind but... whatever. I would certainly be enjoying the people passing by or my book, but I would not be texting, or wifi-ing. I might be talking on my phone (Parisians are even more likely to be doing this, as Europeans have said "ciao!" to landlines long ago).

The "point" however is no point. Time spent... not doing nothing, which suggests wasting time, but actually putting time to good use for replenishing, considering, observing the world and the people in it, and enjoying time. Rather than rushing through it.

These are not new thoughts--even for me--because when I first returned from Paris, I was struck anew at our "cafes" (read this older post on my former blog!). But even here in the Big D there are few places one can sit and watch... let's face it: Starbucks is not exactly Paris, which is why Parisians hate the chain's invasion in their city. It is faux-Paris.

Don't get me wrong: I love me some American cafe where I can get good coffee, meet a friend, and do work. But I do not fool myself that it is the same, just different.

I miss "just" sitting. "Just" reading. "Just" people-watching. Sigh.

I knew it!

As soon as I wrote it... so now I am halfway through The Sun Also Rises and loving it... again, of course, and absolutely homesick for Le Dome and Le Select and La Rotonde, walking the streets of Paris in the soft, blurred evening... breaks my heart, every time. Damned Hemingway!

If I were in Paris... Friday, October 15, 2010

Autumn is actually my favorite time of year in Paris. The heat is gone, and there is a real season to be experienced. The temperatures are dropping, the air is crisp, and sundown comes early: nights are dark and cooooool. I'd already be wearing a jacket, sweaters, scarves, maybe even gloves.

Tomorrow's temps are going to be between 60 and 44 degrees. Crisp, cool, and stimulating.

On a normal day, I'd be tripping over to Tolbiac (here's my first ever link to the library, on the old blog). Most days, I'd take the Metro #14: a quicker ride than the bus.

I know that sometime during this fall I'd be visiting the new Greek rooms at the Louvre. Two whole new galleries, according to the website. There is also an exhibition on 17th century books: Musees des papiers--L'Antiquite en livres, 1600-1800.

The Cape Town Opera is presenting Show Boat at the Theatre du Chatelet. I saw signs for this in June, and just wondered about seeing this intrinsically American musical presented by a South African company to a Parisian audience. Would be worth getting a ticket just to see. And I've never seen a reallly good version of Show Boat.

One perfect autumnal day would include a morning spent with a book, coffee, and a croissant at a cafe overlooking the backside of Notre Dame as the sun crawls up the sky, followed by a slow, soft walk along the Seine westward (an old blog entry from 10.08). I'd head over to Eglise Saint-Sulpice to see the Delacroix mural. Then to the Musee National Eugene Delacroix, which I found this summer. It is a small museum based in the artist's home, with a back garden ripe for sitting and reading. The museum is located in a small, quiet square. Delightful. As I do this, it would be great to have Delacroix's journal to read.

And around the corner is St. Germain-des-Pres, Monoprix, Repetto (ballerines), Grom (gelato), the Village Voice (English-language bookstore), and Coffee Parisien, one of my favorite "American" joints. All within walking distance, all offering wonderful diversions. Tired? An espress' at Cafe de Flore provides a second wind.

I'd really like to finish the day by finding one of those cafes overlooking a busy square (where four or five streets come together) and, grabbing a table overlooking the square, sip a glass of robust red wine and watch les Francais exit from cars, busses, and Metro. We would all enjoy the end of the day with a little wine, a kir, a coffee while the darkness of the fall night settles in. Maybe a little bit of The Sun Also Rises--or is that too cliched? I haven't read it for a long time, but like Remembrance of Things Past, I bet it is easier to read in Paris.

This is also the season to take a final day-trip to Vernon and Giverny before Monet's home is closed forthe winter. Few tourists, small crowds, and the garden in its autumn glory--a very dfferent picture than we usually see.

I've changed addresses...

My beautiful Vox blog has been discontinued, thanks to Vox closing down.

To access my original (and fascinating!) posts about living in Paris, life in France, thoughts about art and life, and just regular stuff, visit http://pearlinparis.typepad.com/myblog/ for my archives.

From today, I'll be posting here. Looking forward to seeing old and new friends in this space!

Pearl