We woke for a couple hours in the wee early morning and then fell back asleep, which means we woke up later this morning and got a late start, an 11:30am start to be exact! We hit up the Musee de l'Orangerie where we saw Monet's masterpiece: The Water Lily rooms. Huge canvases designed to fill two oval rooms, surrounding the spectator with a 360° view. It was beautiful. But I was even more impressed by the well-curated exhibit below featuring certain pieces by Monet alongside pieces from abstract artists - mostly American - who were highly influenced by Monet. Having some of Monet's paintings surrounded by other pieces so similar yet different was very illuminating. Apparently, Monet's style was being dismissed by critics in his later years but these young American artists denounced such criticism and made case for why his art was important and influential, basically saving his work from a fate of obscurity. It was a very well done exhibit.
After l'Orangerie, we sat in the Jardin des Tuileries and ate a snack of baguette and brie before heading over to the Sainte Chapelle cathedral. It was another beautiful day and we walked along the west bank of the Seine where it was shadier and we could catch the breeze on the water. We checked in at Notre Dame to see if there were any slots available to the top but there was only one slot at the end of the day so we continued to Sainte Chapelle.
The cathedral was much smaller than Notre Dame but the walls were floor-to-ceiling stained glass. Between the windows were pillars painted in rich reds, blues, and golds. It was breathtaking! Quite the contrast to the Notre Dame, which was taller and larger with bigger stained glass windows but had wide stone walls which isolated each window and made it darker inside. The narrow spiral staircase up to the cathedral was fun, too. After the Sainte Chapelle, we went to the Conciergerie, where prisoners were kept until their trial and sentencing during the monarchy from the 14th century on. It was also where revolutionaries were imprisoned and tried during the French revolution until the revolutionaries took over and subsequently imprisoned members of the monarch here until their sentencing. We even saw where Marie Antoinette's cell used to be before it was remodeled into a shrine during the Bourbon Restoration. The interesting part was both these locations were apart of the Palais de la Cité, where the Kings of France resided from the 6th-14th centuries. St. Chapelle was a cathedral dedicated to the 'Right to Rule by Divinity' - aka the King is king because God put him there. Next to it, in the Conciergerie, is where 'Divine Right to Rule' ended, arguably for all of humanity.
By this time we were hungry so we wandered towards the Latin-St. Germaine district to find something to eat. We walked past a bakery with lunch items and sweets so we popped in. I ordered a personal quiche and Mat ordered a sort of grilled ham and cheese sandwich. For dessert, we ordered a small eclair and two macaroons. Le Jardin du Luxembourg was only a few blocks away so we took our meal and found ourselves a shady bench with views of flowers and tucked in. The meal was delicious and the macaroons were amazing in both taste and texture. After some relaxing and people watching, we ambled towards Musee d'Orsay, which has extended hours on Thursdays so was open until 9:45pm. We viewed an extensive collection of impressionist and expressionist pieces. They had the roof balcony open so we were able to take in a view overlooking the Seine and the city.
Now we were tired and hungry so we made our way back to the flat, stopping at the market to bring some dinner fixings home. Another great day in Paris!
Steps today: 28,258
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