We were up at 6:00 on this beautiful Sunday morning and lounged for a couple of hours of coffee and blogging. Then out we went to find groceries right around the corner…too easy! Breakfast dishes done, all set for the day, we struck out to see some of the downtown sights. A 15 minute subway ride and we were there…too easy!
First stop, the incredible Muse d’Orsay filled with priceless art from all the Masters and then some. It is right on the banks of the Seine River and we got a nice photo of it coming across the Alexander III bridge. We were almost first in line for the doors to open at 9:30. This is not a huge Museum compared to the Louvre and it only took us 2 hours to navigate the 5 floors of fantastic paintings, sculptures and glass. Wonderful art, not crowded today and so glad we visited. My favorite was Van Gogh’s “Starry Night Over the Rhone”. He painted that in the south of France at Arles. We’ll be there later on our trip.
Leaving the Muse d’Orsay, we strolled for 10 minutes along the Seine to the next stop, two side-by-side museums; Muse Rodin and the Muse de l’Armee. Since time was limited, we split up with Monica going to Rodin and Ryan and I to the other. We agreed to meet up 2 hours later just outside the entrance.
The Muse de l’Armee is an incredibly sobering journey through many centuries of warfare. Ryan, being a history major, was a wonderful personal tour guide for me. I learned so much from him as we moved from ancient Japan 800 B.C. to WWI I and everything between. The highlight is Napoleon’s tomb and the section of the museum dedicated to his life. Opulent doesn’t quite describe it. Maybe obscenely opulent. Totally fascinating at any rate.
Meanwhile, Monica thoroughly enjoyed the Rodin museum as he has been one of her favorite artists for many years. I enjoyed the photos she took.
Hungry after 4 hours of culture, we found a street-side restaurant and order cheese burgers. True to French cuisine fashion, they were…raw! Ryan and I ate them (of course)… Monica was nearly sick just watching us. She opted instead for shrimp and avocado salad.
The afternoon agenda was the Eiffel Tower. Yee haa! Monica had purchased tickets online so we skipped the 500 person line-up and rode the elevator up the 1000 feet for the breathtaking vistas of Paris. The sun was shining, the wind was light, it was lovely up there and Monica called Sarah from the top. We miss her. I would like to go back for a night shot of the tower in lights. I’m hopful.
Really tired now and feet burning, we took the subway home at 7 pm and had leftover pizza and wine. Feet up to blog and it’s sleepy time now.
Tomorrow will be a very important day… one that I have dreamed of for many years.
nellyglass studio 
Fantastic photos. Your day was so full and fun. You were exhausted I’m sure but still take the time to blog and take us along on your adventure. Thank you. 🙂