Charpentier and Manet

Saturday, April 12. In the interest of time (mine!), I'm leaving some of the next few entries in shortened form.

Lyn arrives and finds her way to my apartment via RER all by herself !!

After shower and nap, we take the metro and RER to the Musee d'Orsay. We miss our stop because I'm too busy describing my massage with Monique so we have to get off at Invalides, turn around and come back!

There's a long line at the Musee and it's raining so we decide to go to our "regular" crepe restaurant, Evangelista, on rue Bellechasse. We have crepes aux citron and talk to an American couple from California who are here on a pilgrimage to Lourdes!

The sun comes out and we get in line for Musee d'Orsay. See sign that says checking "sac a dos obligatoire." so we stand in line again to check back pack only to be told, when reach front of line, that my back pack is too small. grrrrrr.

We've come here to see the Charpentier exhibit which closes tomorrow (actually Lyn is indulging me here: more Art Nouveau!). His dining room, complete with paneled woodwork is amazing. Music stands (les pupitres) and armoire a quatour (this is a cabinet for storing stringed instruments)are fabulous. also embossed drawings and medals. la maternite. Figure out that "gaufre" (the French word for "waffle" also (with an accent on the final "e") means "embossed." Makes sense, n'est-ce pas?!) I'm annoyed later to find that there is only one postcard (of the dining room) and nothing else, other than the catalog of the exhibit which is expensive, heavy and in French.

Up to level 5 to see the Impresionists collection, then back down to RdC to see the Manet room. Then we discover rooms containing the Moreau-Nelaton collection. To the best of my recollection, I have never been in these rooms before and this is where we see Manet's Dejeuner sur l'Herbe and other well-known masterpieces. Decide that Manet was in love with Berthe Morisot (she married his brother). Probably not new news to anyone in the know!

We take the metro back to Place St Michel then walk across river, the late-afternoon sun shining on the Pont au Double and Notre Dame, walk past Hotel de Ville, then over to the Cafe Grizzli for dinner. Lyn has: Tartare de magret de canard (entree) and for dessert, Soupe de mangue a l'indienne. I have: Poivrons farci (entree) and for dessert, Banane caramalise. We both have as our main course: Filet de rascasse au creme de gingembre, puree de patate douce, banane plantain.

Home to bed.