Paris walk deux.

 

  House on rue Christine where Gertrude and Alice lived,.

 Had a good night's sleep last night...no game!  Yesterday I walked and walked and walked, grabbing the Metro in a couple of places only. I found some areas I had not yet been ever.  I followed my map and I sought out places where Gertrude STein and Alice B., Toklas lived (the best of the lot that I saw)...Picasso (the worst!)...e.e. cummings...and where Henry Miller, destitute and depressed, took his life., One door looks the same as the other, and time has certainly changed the area, but still, I could see the general idea. And it would hardly surprise anyone that Gertrude and Alice had a very fine place, don't you think. Avenue Christine still seems like a go-to street. At least in my imagination.

I saw lots of art and many people to paint and draw later on.  And sat near a gorgeous young Parisian man-boy who I think was courting a peppy and pretty Parisian girl.  First date? They were having a wonderful time and many laughs.  He was so handsome in a fresh-faced way  I did a double-take at first glance. Oh I do miss my youth.

The best thing for me on these walks is Google Maps. Thank goodness for Google maps. It does not require wi-if but lets me know where I am and what direction I am traveling. A life-saver when one is roaming strange new places and can turned around quite easily with street name changes, as does the City of Light.  Metro signs also save the traveler. Look for the METRO! 

   At Sennelier Art, up on the 3rd floor one gets to by a deep spiral staircase there is a wall of self-portrait drawings by customers.   Mine is the blurry one at the bottom. 

      One can never bypass one red chair.

One red chair?

  

  Add an S, si'l vous plait. 

Yay, Google maps

Wandering

Yesterday I set out to do several things and did none of them. One of those days when I would start out with a destination and change my mind or run our of time or energy,. But that's okay, too. One point of destination was Sennelier...never made it, but enjoyed a few minutes on the Pont Saint-Louis where skateboarders were putting on a show and lots and lots of people watched in the cool night air. Including this Dad and daughter, I presume.

Passers-by

Art surrounds us: walking Paris

 

Paris alone...

First, let me say, we arrived back in Paris after a wonderful few days in Provence. We had the rest of the day, Sunday, to puts around Paris a bit. Alas, it began to rain enough to search out umbrellas. I was on adrenalin having been aware since 2 a.m., (what else would a Cub fan to than to watch the game live, France time?). As I posted in FB the previous night...

Absolutely worth the loss of sleep. World Series bound!

I had hoped to share more from our experience but in Provence; the days were full, we were busy, and posting has been a challenge. The Internet may be global but let us just say there is the French Internet and the U.S. Internet and I suspect the Swedish Internet blah blah and there are different rules for each. At least it seems to me. Not saying one is better than the other, but the concept of sitting down each day and uploading pictures and blogging relatively quickly and easily does not exist in my world. That said.,..

Going to try very hard to share my solo days in Paris. My travel buddy Jeannie got on her plane this morning and I am left to walk the streets alone. (One is never alone on the streets of Paris, however.)

My apartment is 275 sq ft, but is just fine for one. It is semi-cute, has enough lighting, an up-to-date bath, amenable kitchen area, Internet and many plugs,  and comfy bed. I would love to get my hands on it and make it cute, which would not be too hard....a small dresser with drawers, a colorful and comfy chair and table, another lamp or two, some posters or pictures on the wall, a bit of paint...The best thing is the location in the Marais.

I have spent the morning unpacking, regrouping, and counting...days, purchases,  Euros, things on my list.

I stood in a corner and did a quick sketch, sort of wonky and VanGogh-like. Trust me. The room is not as big as it looks here!

Morning in Giverny.

I liked the water lilies. Really, someone should paint these. 

I liked the forest of bamboo. His pride and joy.

 

I  liked the flowers of every kind, every color, every size. Flowers so unusual they felt imaginary.

                      

Most of all, I liked standing in the studio that Monet built and painted in. A man who lived a full and long life, engaged in life to the end, a sense of design, pattern, and purpose. 

Day 2...

Whirlwind comes to mind. Our morning included a gourmet tour of markets, award-winning patisseries and fromagers (where we sampled the goods), a walk through the 5th arrondissement, entry into a secret passage in the middle of the city that our guide was privy to, and a cheese, wine, and grape stop before we embarked to the d'Orsay lunch and museum. More on that later. Our days are full. And though I have been here often, I found much that was new and all that was fun.

I sat where Owen Wilson sat before the black cab picked him up (Midnight in Paris)

There's a whole quiet community of lovely places to live behind these doors.

                     

A jar of Parisian specialties

Art surrounds us.

Writing my memoir where Ernest wrote his.

               

Leaving the rain behind?

forecast for Seattle: rain, possibly record-making winds ahead. A good time to fly over the ocean,  don't you think?

To the city of ornate geometry.

And rain. 

Such as what provides the  mosaic-y photo of the Eiffel Tower in a  Seattle-like heavy drizzle on this first day of my trip to Paris and Provence with a small group of fellow travelers, followed by a week alone in the City of Light. 

              

First the reunion with Jeannie. Then up to our room. We leaned out the window of our hotel to spot Tour Eiffel apparently within our reach! 

We ate a great meal atop the Tower served by a witty Turk.

Every day, every one of us experiences the result of the turmoil our world is in these days.

We finished the day off with the view from the iconic and beautifully geometric still-takes-my-breath-away Eiffel Tower.

And having been awake for 30 some hours in the time zone game of eastward travel, we took one last look from our hotel room and slept like babes.

Getting ready....

In a couple of days I will be off to Paris and Provence. The timing isn't great; we are still putting things away and organizing the house from our move a little over a month ago. But I am leaving behind my husband, the kitties, and lots of piles of things get to find a place. And it will be good to get away. After a tour with a small group of women to Paris and Provence, I will spend a week solo in Paris. I'll not be sightseeing, but intend to hit obscure places and neighborhoods to sketch, something I rarely do when traveling with others. This is how I prepare for this kind of trip: get out the magazines, books, articles and find some interesting places I might not otherwise find. Whenever I travel alone, in the U.S. up to now, I do my homework and make my own travel guide. It's not in ink and I am always up to surprises and unplanned discoveries, but it's fun for me to have a little scavenger hunt for myself.

I hope to blog each day, especially during my solo week. I hope you will join me!

By the way, that's the Cubs game on the TV. We're losing. Hope that changes. Go Cubs.