Salut tout le monde!!!

Sorry for not updating sooner, but I am by nature a lazy individual. This is going to be a bit of a longer post as I have to include pictures and 'interesting" text for two different days.

OK. I'll start with Sunday. I woke up early in the morning (thanks to a good night's sleep) with a sense of ennui and decided to get the hell out of my arrondissement in the hopes of seeing something news. And also, since it was the weekend, I was able to purchase cheaper student tickets on the métro. Oh, the Paris métro ... I'm going to let you in on a little secret ... I am terrified of the métro. In my opinion it is nothing at all like the DC metro. It's not straightforward at all! All these intersecting lines and colors and all those stops. But, no matter how afraid I was, I decided to take a shot and book it to Le Palais Royal ...

I entered the metro at Luxembourg, which is a block away from my apartment, payed for the student ticket, and was immediately intimidated by the map. After several minutes of observation - I was sure that I knew the most quick and efficient way to get to the Museé du Louvre/Palais Royal metro stop. Well, half an hour later I ended up here ...

Yes, somehow (and God knows how), our hapless heroine was lost. Hopelessly lost. As in in the suburbs of Paris. After a growl of frustration and a long and complicated talk with a métro worker, I finally ended up at the station I wanted. Got out of the métro, and I realized that the only way out of the metro was under the concourse of the Louvre. And, again, I gave a little shudder.

Let me explain, no one loves art more than I do. But I find the Louvre hot, crowded with tourists, and imposssibly large. So, all in all, intimidating. But I knew that, being in Paris, I would have to tackle the monster sometime. And this time seemed as good as any.

An image made famous by the Da Vinci Code movie, peut-être? So, once stepping into the concourse, I was immediately beset with claustrophobia due to the crowds and the intense heat. I stepped into line and once I reached the front was given a wonderful surprise. I was completely prepared to pay the 8€, but apparently the duo action of my Sorbonne and ISIC card (which shows my birthdate) acts as a magic pass. I got in free!! Apparently I can get into all the museums here free!!!! That was excellent. And once I knew that I could come and go as much as I pleased, I decided that I would only stay for a little while since I knew I was not in the mood to wander about for long. And I decided to visit les appartements de Napoleon!!

I really haven't seen their equal in all the world. And keep in mind that I have been to St. Petersburg and other cities where some of the richest palaces are kept. Napoleon really knew how to live. All the doors were exquisitely painted or covered in gold, and the rooms - oh my GOD. It gave one (or at least myself) a shiver of pure sensual pleasure, especially in the salon. The rich red velvet is embossed with (what I assume) is a flowery texture that my fingers craved to glide over. And the riche gold and crystal of the huge chandeliers was a perfect contrast with the gilded dark wood of the piano. Here are some pictures, but I don't think that it will really translate:

A shot of the view from one of the rooms in his apartment

Damn, the pictures actually make his apartment look dingy!! Trust me, this camera isn't a great one, and these apartments were so lush looking that my jaw dropped. I think one or two of the guards gave a giggle at my intoxicated state! So, after looking at these rooms I left the Louvre and walked around outside it and around Le Palais Royal. Here are the obligatory pictures that look like every other tourist picture!! :)

But please remember, dear readers, that this excursion and these pictures are all for your benefit. The minute I stepped out of the métro I knew that I was not quite happy with this arrondissement. I longed for my own, busy, student quarter. This was full of too many tourists, too rich, too grand, too imposing. Everything was so expensive, and the Parisians here were much less accommodating. But, of course, I will go back to the Louvre and enjoy it. These impressions may be formed because I got lost on the métro and because I did not have my morning coffee.

But the concert at Le Jardin du Luxembourg certainly cheered me up!!! It was so magnificent!!! It was held en plain air in a gazebo were a single Steinway was set up. Crowds of Parisians crowded around it and many (including myself) sat on the steps to get a better view. The atmosphere was jovial and this was one of the those moments that you could give a big smile to a Parisian and they will smile right back at you - just out of the pure joy of hearing the Chopin. The duo played exquisitely - though I preferred the man's technique. His fingers floated across the keys with grace - and as Chopin can be quite virtuosic at times - rapidity as well. He was Polish and so was his partner. I think that's what really makes a good interpreter of Chopin. It's quite possibly in their blood. And, of course, they played "all the greatest hits." My knowledge of Chopin isn't too extensive, but I recognized every single one of the pieces. And here are a few pictures!!!

So, all in all, Sunday was quite a day! But now, as it is 9 AM, I need to get ready and pick up my morning coffee. But I suspect today will be a very lazy day for me. So I will post again later today!

Bises!