These people look familiar... on Tuesday, after class, Mary and I had arranged to meet Matt and Alissa for undefined activities that involved the words "sit", "garden" and, for some of us, "beer". Here we ran into them as the university offered un petit cocktail to its students.
After a brief discussion, we split into two groups - "me" and "the rest of them" - to acquire some lunch (I already had a sandwich) and to reconvene at the corner of the Jardin du Luxembourg for some civilised lounging. This is a building right on that corner.
We sat in the shade on benches and metal chairs and hid from the sun. I was apparently as attractive to a passing wasp as the mosquitos which feast on me constantly in this city, as it hovered for several minutes, only deflected when I walked up to a distracting flower bed and ran away quickly, saying, "ow ow ow ow ow" all the way.In due course Alissa was dispatched for some wine.
I had quite the adventure on the buses - in the bad way - as the others went off to St Sulpice. I took a bus down to Gare Montparnasse thinking I could pick up the 88 to go home from there. Unfortunately I realised after some wandering around looking for it that the 88 passes the TGV terminal rather than the main station. Having schlepped down there, and I mean schlepped, I still couldn't find the stop, nor could I find where I was on my trusty Paris Circulation in relation to the terminal. I couldn't work out where the bus had stopped the other day, on my way home from the 15th. I had to walk all the way home from Gare Montparnasse, when I was already tired and dehydrated and not sure how far it really was. :( about sums it up.
If you enlarge it, note the sign in the background that suggests that convenience is yours as you can eat it anywhere - on the metro, while walking, in a taxi, on a bike...(?)
I had quite the adventure on the buses - in the bad way - as the others went off to St Sulpice. I took a bus down to Gare Montparnasse thinking I could pick up the 88 to go home from there. Unfortunately I realised after some wandering around looking for it that the 88 passes the TGV terminal rather than the main station. Having schlepped down there, and I mean schlepped, I still couldn't find the stop, nor could I find where I was on my trusty Paris Circulation in relation to the terminal. I couldn't work out where the bus had stopped the other day, on my way home from the 15th. I had to walk all the way home from Gare Montparnasse, when I was already tired and dehydrated and not sure how far it really was. :( about sums it up.
Sore and tired the next morning, I managed to dress inside out and had to run back to change! Even with one considerable delay, I arrived quite early and found an open pharmacy. I can't tell you what a miracle that is at that hour of the morning. Mozzie cream! In any case, I wasn't sure that the word I thought meant mosquito was actually the right word (it was), so I launched forth into an explanation of the "little animals that find me delicious". Apart from making the pharmacist double over with laughter, it didn't achieve much as I had to give up and go to class. I present to you, however, a photo of just one of my many bites in case you think it was not worth the trouble.
Afterwards I ran into Matt, and subsequently Alissa by some extraordinary coincidence. Alissa took care of the mozzie cream problem as she needed some too and was far better prepared to explain. Then I introduced them to the cult of the pizza en cone, having preached it vigorously the day before.
If you enlarge it, note the sign in the background that suggests that convenience is yours as you can eat it anywhere - on the metro, while walking, in a taxi, on a bike...(?)
Afterwards I went to the very hot Tuileries to try again for the Orangerie. The white dust that covers these parks (and some tourist spots such as the Louvre) is very unforgiving in the heat, and I felt like I was baking. Here's the view in both directions down the Grand Axe, that lines up the mammoth monuments from l'Arc du Caroussel at the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe and now La Defense.
After lounging in the gardens trying not to dehydrate, I went in to visit the waterlilies (nymphea in French, which is much prettier) by Monet. They were lovely with some really intense and unexpected colour, and gave a good sense of the late impressionist influence on later painters like Chagall. I took a picture while the gallery was temporarily deserted as I was hoping to capture the depth of the blues, but I failed.
There is a lot more wonderful art, I'm sure right up my street, in the museum, but I was completely wiped out and thirsty by this point and since I'm a student here I get in free. I can always return. It was a pleasant place to spend an hour and a half, just gazing into the eight huge Monet canvasses.
After lounging in the gardens trying not to dehydrate, I went in to visit the waterlilies (nymphea in French, which is much prettier) by Monet. They were lovely with some really intense and unexpected colour, and gave a good sense of the late impressionist influence on later painters like Chagall. I took a picture while the gallery was temporarily deserted as I was hoping to capture the depth of the blues, but I failed.
There is a lot more wonderful art, I'm sure right up my street, in the museum, but I was completely wiped out and thirsty by this point and since I'm a student here I get in free. I can always return. It was a pleasant place to spend an hour and a half, just gazing into the eight huge Monet canvasses.
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