INSEINE PART I

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I’ve only been to New York City once back in 1988 for a friend’s wedding. One day is a lot to cover and, of course, impossible. I remember taking my map and walking all the way from Central Park to Wall Street. I don’t know many miles that is, but my feet could tell you it was a few too many. Well, here I was in Paris and I didn’t really realize it, but I was about to do Famous City Walk, Part Deux.

My plans for an early start were squashed thanks to my exhausting route to Paris the previous night. I slept in and didn’t leave the hotel until around 10:15 a.m. Armed with my camera and my map and some sort of heat rash from all that sweating yesterday, I was ready to tackle Paris head on. Or maybe foot on. The first thing I noticed was the weather. It was a beautiful day but surprisingly hot once again. I’m guessing it was easily 28. That’s Celsius, and if I do the math, 9/5C +32, it’s around 82. I was already starting to perspire.

I got a hot tip from my blogging amie that I should stick to the Seine river and walk along the bank rather than trying to navigate the confusing Paris side streets. Mission number one was to find the Musee D’Orsay. Olivia told me the Louvre would be too much for one day and that D’Orsay might be better anyway. I knew how to get to Eiffel; after that, it would be uncharted waters. On the map, it didn’t look too far. But neither did Wall Street from Central Park.

Before I got to Eiffel, I was already in trouble. I’m not gonna gross you out, but let’s just say I had trouble walking with this rash. Oh my aching legs. I think I now know what babies feel like when they have a diaper rash. I came across a hypthecarie, a French drug store. I looked for some diaper rash cream or something in that vein. Yes, I already know I’m nuts; don’t rub it in. I found cream with a baby picture on it and the word toilette but had no clue what it was. The last thing in the world I needed was to rub it on and have it burn like hell. So I passed on the cream and traversed on.

Eiffel in the daytime. I was trying to figure out it’s color. The souvenirs you see around town are either gold or pewter color, but its hue to me has a slight reddish metal tint to it. I don’t know what it is that makes us stare at it but it’s almost uncontrollable. Wow, I’ve actually seen the Eiffel Tower in person. Cool.

Speaking of cool, I sought and ice cold Coke Light which I was learning was darn near impossible. Ice was out of the question. No one had any. And I’d see the Diet Cokes, err, Coke Lights sold in those refrigerator/cooler thingies, but they just weren’t cold. Barely above room temperature is all France could muster for me. I took a glance at my map since I was now in virgin territory. My goal was to get to D’Orsay quickly before the long lines formed. That meant no stopping for picture taking and gawking.

Ooh, but the architecture was spectacular, just as it had been in Gent. I gazed across the Seine and saw the Musee D’Art Moderne. I was about to take out my camera but stuck to my game plan. No pictures. I could always take some on my return walk. The Seine had a ton of tour boats today. I wish I had the time to take a nice cool sun-splashed ride. Perhaps next visit. I continued to drink to keep hydrated. Some lukewarm bottled water this time around.

The first landmark on my side of the Seine was the American Church. Aw hell, it was on my side so how could I not take a picture? I got my picture and carried on. I looked at my watch and it was already 11:15 a.m. It took me around 45 minutes to get to that church and it looked like it would take mere minutes on the map. I took a look at where D’Orsay was on the map and shook my head. I was in for a long day and that damn rash was not helping any. Luckily it was only on my right side so I adjusted my stride and walked in very wide, waddling steps. Can you imagine such a thing?

I put on the brakes once again when I glanced across the Left Bank and saw some amazing monuments. I consulted my map; The Grand Palais which contained the Palais De La Decourverte and the quote unquote Petite Palais. The Palaces were lined with these huge pillars topped with golden statues lining a bridge across the Seine. It’s hard to describe in words, but majestic comes to mind. I couldn’t pass up picture taking. In fact, my whole plan for picture taking went out the window at that point because there would be so much to see along the way. To my immediate right was the Hotel Des Invalides, a huge golden-domed structure that looked like a State Capitol building. Snap, snap, snap. Pictures were flying like there was no tomorrow. And there really wasn’t. I had to get all of this in today.

More history and architecture awaited me. On the Left Bank was something called Place De La Concorde which looked like a mini Washington Monument. On the Right Bank were these huge structures called the Ministere Des Affairs Etrangeres and the Assemblee Nationale Palais Bourbon. So huge that I had to walk across Pont De La Concorde bridge to get a good picture of the entire thing. I gazed at my watch and it was noon and getting hotter. I looked at the map and D’Orsay was next in line. So I waddled on wondering when I’d ever get there. I finally saw a sign with a right arrow and the words Musee D”Orsay. Thank god, I said out loud. About 10 minutes later, I saw tons of people and tour buses. I’d made it, and I was really excited in anticipation of seeing the Impressionism exhibits.

Ahhhh, cool air. What a relief to my face and aching legs and feet. It was fairly cheap to enter. 7 Euros or something like that. $9 or so maybe? I got a map, and I remember my Belgium reader telling me to go right to the Impressionism exhibits on the fifth floor. Oh my, heaven. Renoir, Degas, Manet, Cezanne, Monet, and my favorite Van Gogh. I was amazed at how well-preserved these paintings. Works of art over 100 years old. I wondered what these artists were thinking as they painted. They were all so young as most died early. Van Gogh, I know, was tortured. I don’t know the history of some of the others. I wished I had more time to explore and learn. I snapped a ton of pictures finally figuring out how to turn off my flash. The pastel rooms were eerily dark, further preserving the precious masterpieces that hung on the museum walls.

I took a break from the art and stepped outside the fifth floor balcony which offered a marvelous view of the Right Bank. I came back in to take a peek at post-impressionism and some Paul Gaugin. So much more to see. I needed more time but didn’t have any. D’ Orsay was magnifique. It was time to move on. There was much more of Paris I needed to see before the day was done…