We started the day with the usual shopping and chores although on this occasion we stopped for morning coffee at a cafe near the Marie du 18eme (the Town Hall for Montmartre or the 18th Arondissment). The cafe is called Le Nord-Sud, which is the direction of the Line 12 Metro which is also just across from the cafe. It is a very ordinary and non-pretentious example of a parisien suburban cafe. And the coffee is extremely good!
 |
| The Town Hall |
 |
| The Nord-Sud |
Later, when Virginia went off to school I returned to the Musee d'Orsay to get our tickets for the Manet Exhibition. If you are a museum visitor there are some strategies for obtaining tickets that will make your life easier. The last thing you want to do is just front up for tickets at the admissions counter on the day you intend to visit. If you want to go to the Musee d'Orsay, buy your tickets for a future date by going to the advance purchase door at the museum. Then on the designated day you can enter through the pre-paid ticket holder's door which has a very short line. Tickets to the Louvre can be more readily purchased on the day you wish to attend, but rather than join the long queue, go to the Carousel de Louvre which has an entrance on the rue de Rivoli. Inside you will find automatic ticketing machines and no queues. Of course you can buy passes in advance (1 day, 3 day, etc.), but the number of days must be consecutive and this can be expensive unless you intend to visit several galleries each day. Virginia, who had to queue for everything during the Second World War, prefers to sally forth without interruption and abhors queues. So we do our homework!
 |
| Le musée d’Orsay |
 |
| Crowds queuing at Le musée d’Orsay |
After purchasing our tickets I headed over the Seine and through the Tuileries Gardens to La Madeleine.
 |
| Musée du Louvre from Jardin des Tuileries |
 |
| Statue in the gardens |
L'église de la Madeleine is a fantastic building which was designed in its present form as a temple to the glory of Napoleon's army. From the front steps you look straight down the rue Royale
 |
| L'église de la Madeleine |
 |
| View down rue Royale to Place de la Concorde |
 |
| Interior of la Madeleine |
The bronze doors of the cathedral are massive containing reliefs of the ten commandments.
 |
| Doors |
 |
| Relief from door |
 |
| Relief from door |
After spending some time there, I returned to our flat. Looking at the Metro sign it is clear that spring is in the air and the plants are beginning to show up in the city.
 |
| Spring |
No comments:
Post a Comment