My little corner of the World Wide Web: A big day!

Enthused after getting Paul's luggage back safe and sound, we got up at 7am (I know, we're supposed to be on holidays!) ready to face the city and another day.

First stop today was the Pinacotheque de Paris to see the double header show of Van Gough (My favourite), Dreaming of Japan, and the fabulous wood cuts of Hiroshige: The art of Travel. The show basically compared and contrasted the 2 artists works. Different idioms but essentialy similar works made thousands of miles apart. For more about it, click here.

Afterwards we hit the super-expensive food shops like Fauchon and Hediard around La Madelaine church, for a feast for the eyes. At Hediard, I found a bottle of cognac from 1802 (Yes, I said 1802!) that was priced at E15,000! As tempting as that was, we moved on....

For some reason, my back was killing me after seeing the show (I'm beginning to sound like Paul!), but we trouped on and eventually bought a couple of sandwiches and went and enjoyed our lunch in our favourite place in Paris, the Tuilleries Gardens. There were some great photo ops and it was easy to catch metro line 1 back to Place Charles de Gaulle Etoile and up to Ternes metro to our apartment.

I gave in and crashed for a nap and by the time I woke up it was getting late to head out and do anything new!

Paul had the brainstorm that the Musee D'Orsay was open late tonight (which it is), so I made us up a pasta supper (5pm - early for Paris!) and we headed out to the gallery. I was thrilled that after 2 or 3 years of renovations, the entire building is open again, so we had access to the full permanent collection of Impressionist and Post Impressionist galleries, as well as a fascinating special exhibition on Impressionism and Fashion - a show that featured paintings and costumes (on mannequins). It was terrific to see the clothing of the era 1850's - 1900. It actually helps to make you understand how - avant garde impressionist and post impressionist art must have seemed at a time when women wore collars buttoned up to under their chins!

And so, we didn't get home until after 10pm, which is when I'm penning this note.

We had glimpses of sun through the morning, but by late afternoon it was solidly cloudy and then it rained - heavily - for about an hour. I have to tell you something, Paris in the is BEAUTIFUL and should be experienced. The temp remained very mild at about 20C.