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April 28, 2015
Ah Paris in the Spring!
We were concerned upon leaving England that the weather information said that Paris would be rainy. And, it was a bit the first day -- but somehow it has been pretty sunny since then. It seems like there are a variety of opinions online about Paris weather.
We arrived after a long day of train rides that were quite palatable since we sat in my breakfast room a few months ago and wisely chose the comfortable seats with free food service. Smart move on a day that was spent on the trains. The chunnel part of the Eurostar was only about 20 minutes so you would never know you were under water. We met Chuck and Dee and the rest of the group at 5:30 and walked to a wonderful meal in a local restaurant. The next day we went on a two hour walking tour around the area painted by the impressionists. The guide was knowledgeable and showed us many places were the painters lived and/or painted during their time in Paris. After lunch, Barbara and I strolled up Rue Cler -- a shopping area popular with people who live around our hotel in the 7th arrondissement. That night our group went over to Sainte Chappell for a wonderful Vivaldi concert. All in all, yesterday we rode about 12 different Metro lines so I have definitely seen the underside of Paris.
Today, we left after breakfast to go to the Musee D'Orsay where we could feast on all the Impressionist paintings and feast it was! I especially loved the Van Gogh's. It is fun to see the paintings you have studied in school in real life. It is a fantastic museum. Tonight, we are going to walk over to the Eiffel Tower which we can see from our hotel and then meander to dinner. The best food we have had so far was the first night -- so we're going to try that restaurant again. I must say that the England restaurants are way ahead on my score card.
Our room is small, but cozy and comfortable. I love that fact that it has a tall, floor to ceiling, window that actually opens on a little square facing other buildings with many staircases. The bath is large and we are on the 6th floor. The breakfast buffet at the hotel is adequate with lots of choices. Just not very exciting.
I guess this brings Paris up to date. Tomorrow we head for the Picasso Museum and Thursday we have a free day that we are still contemplating. There are many choices -- so many museums and cathedrals! Stay tuned!
Multiple stairways out of our hotel window
Barb in Parc Monceau before our tour
Our Fellow travelers listening to our tour guide
A Degas dancer in the Musee D'Orsay
Posted by Marilyn at April 28, 2015 6:55 AM