Paris, Day 3--10/2/12

It's our son's 22 month old birthday...and we're in Paris!  Bad parents.  We muddled through the day, though.  The word of the day was WALK...I'll get to that later...in the next entry, actually. 

After another awesome breakfast at Le Petit Cardinal (wasn't making the same mistake two days in a row), we headed to the museum which would be much more my speed: Musee d'Orsay.  This old converted train station is the home of such artistic greats as Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Toulouse Lautrec, and Sondheim's favorite George, Seurat.  d'Orsay was mind-numbingly outstanding, breathtaking, amazing, and all those other adjectives I've already overused.  The actual building wasn't too shabby either.

I was taken aback at Van Gogh's art "in person."  The colors oh-so-much-more vivid.  The pain and agony in his self painted eyes so much more real.  I found myself back in "his room" (and staring at it) three times.  I kept going back.  I was never a huge fan of his until this day, and I ended up buying a short book about his life and art...IN THE LITTLE SHOP!

Monet's Bridge Over a Pool of Water Lilies was also here, and this was the first Monet painting I found myself staring at when a young pre-teen at Annie's house.  I wanted to spend hours gazing upon the lilies underneath the bridge, but we only had minutes.  I always imagined lovestruck couples strolling along this bridge hand in hand, pausing for a secret kiss.  Oh, and Bastille Day!  I had never seen a Monet with RED!  BIG BOLD RED!  I was used to muted pastels.  I loved Bastille Day.

After this, it was finally lunch time, because all I wanted to do all the time was eat.  And, today was the day, people.  I got it.  I got what I truly really actually came for: A brie baguette.

 Simple.  Unadulterated.  Brie.  Bread. TOGETHER.  And WHY was this all I wanted?  Why was this all I ever dreamed about doing while in Paris?  Well, I guess you  might say I have David Lynch who encroached upon my impressionable 10-year-old mind to blame*:

We went back to the beautiful Tuileries Garden to enjoy our baguettes.  Well, mostly beautiful except for the John Deere roaring behind us.

I guess you gotta work hard to keep those Paris gardens in tip-top shape.  And, YES, you can get your John Deere green in Paris, too.  Don't know about the boot-scootin' though.  Check in tomorrow for Part II of Day 3!...cause there's just too much jam packed into each day for just one entry each.  :)




*For those keeping track, the Pop Culture Counter is now at 2: I have successfully linked our trip to Paris to Encino Man AND Twin Peaks.  Pretty nifty work so far, eh?