Sunday, March 26, 2023

Springtime in Paris (Day 3) March 22, 2023

We continue to have lovely weather for the most part.  It has only rained a couple of times but this former Pacific Northwesterner is not afraid of a little rain.  Okay, I did have an umbrella which came in quite handy. 😀

For Day 3 in Paris, we had two destinations on the docket: Sainte-Chapelle and Musee Picasso. 

"The Sainte-Chapelle is a royal chapel in the Gothic style, within the medieval Palais de la Cité, the residence of the Kings of France until the 14th century, on the Île de la Cité in the River Seine in Paris, France. Construction began sometime after 1238 and the chapel was consecrated on 26 April 1248."

Source: Wikipedia

The stained glass is breathtaking, even on an overcast day.  Our timed arrived was a strategic one because soon after our arrival, many more people were entering the chapel.



On our way to our next destination, we decided to visit the Conciergerie, where Marie-Antoinette was held before her execution:

"The Conciergerie is a former courthouse and prison in Paris, France, located on the west of the Île de la Cité, below the Palais de Justice. It was originally part of the former royal palace, the Palais de la Cité, which also included the Sainte-Chapelle. Two large medieval halls remain from the royal palace."

Source: Wikipedia

This museum had some fantastic technology that included an iPad-like device where you could point it in a room and a rendition of what it was like back in the day came up.  Very cool!


We were famished from all that exploring, so we stopped by a bistro for lunch.  We were given a great seat on the second floor of the restaurant and enjoyed a delicious meal.  Rose had a scallop dish and I enjoyed a traditional beef and potato stew (with an obligatory glass of wine, of course!).


With very happy stomachs, we ventured to the Musee Picasso and checked out a special exhibit by Faith Ringgold:

Faith Ringgold is a major figure in American feminist art, from the civil rights struggles to those of Black Lives Matter, and the author of some very famous works in children’s literature. Her work links the rich heritage of the Harlem Renaissance to the current art of young black American artists. Through her retelling of modern art history, she engages in a genuine plastic and critical dialogue with the Parisian art scene of the early 20th century, particularly with Picasso and his "Demoiselles d’Avignon".




Once we got back home we realized that we had 'forgotten' about our plans for the evening that included dinner at Cafe des Deux Moulins, the cafe that was featured in the film, Amelie. I was disappointed to cancel that outing but we did have tickets for a visit to the Moulin Rogue that night which was quite the experience!  We had the honor of sharing our table and witty comments with Olivia and Shay, two lovely gals visiting from California by way of Dublin, Ireland.



I was taken aback by all the bare boobies (!) I saw in the most fabulous of costumes. The men were pretty much fully dressed the entire time. Hmm.  Okay, I am a bit of a prude these days. 😄 I was also surprised to see children at a burlesque show, but I guess folks just do things differently these days.  The costumes were simply out of this world!!!!  I wish I could have captured at least one photo but you weren't allowed to take photos. Even after my two sips of whiskey that set me back $15, I was still in awe of the show the performers provided. The energy required to do all that they did was quite impressive. 

What a day!

To see all my photos from the day, click here.

Be sure to check out these other places in Paris:













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