Makes You Feel Like Dancing

As we were walking through the Parc de l'Orangerie, we heard strains of music wafting through the air.  We followed the sounds and came upon a troupe of ethnic dancers.  I wish that I had more information on the origins of the show but I don't.  All I know is that the costumes were not historical Alsatian garb.  They could have been from elsewhere in France or possibly from another country all together.  I do know that we enjoyed the show.

Seeing Sights in the Rain

I dropped my daughter off at the creche (daycare) and I had the day to myself.  My first plan was to hang out near the cathedral and take photographs.  It has been bustling there recently with tourists and entertainers.  I was sure that I could find something interesting to take pictures of.  Unfortunately, the weather interfered.  It was threatening rain and hardly anyone was out and about.  I decided to go shopping instead.

After my shopping expedition I spent some time in my apartment waiting to go back to the creche.  Thankfully I was home at the time that the rain clouds decided to unload on Strasbourg.  Not only did it rain, hard, the precipitation was combined with lightening and thunder.

One of my pet peeves is being rained on.  I dislike having my hair soaking wet and falling into my eyes.  I hate it when my glasses fog up.  I find it to be disgusting to walk in the rain wearing sandals.  The water acts like glue adhering little bits of rock, dirt, leaves, etc. to my feet.  Just thinking about it makes me uncomfortable.  I was not looking forward to walking to the creche to pick up my child.

Part of my journey consists of veering through one of Strasbourg's parks.  I would never volunteer to walk through there in the rain seeing that the park includes all the components that I dislike.  There are drippy trees, huge puddles, and lots of rocks, mud, and organic matter that stick to my feet.  I had no choice though, I had to go pick up the baby.

As I entered the park, I was not in a great mood.  The rain had slowed to a dribble and I had put my umbrella  away.  I was trying to avoid a large, deep puddle when I came across a path of trees that were hanging lower than normal.  The weight and severity of the recent downpour had caused their limbs to bow.  They had not recovered yet.  I walked under them, through a tunnel of dark green, shiny foliage.  I paused.  There was no sound but the dripping of water.  It was beautiful.

It occurred to me that if I stopped focusing on the things that I disliked then maybe I would find some unexpected elements that were pleasant about being rained on in the park.  Hardly anyone else was around.  I basically had the entire place to myself.  The leaves and branches were shiny with wetness.  Subtle, new colors were revealed in the tree bark, the benches, and the pathways.  The air smelled clean.  It was silent except for the quiet whisper of the now calm wind and the drip drop of water from the wet leaves.

A lady was walking towards me with an umbrella.  I had brought my camera with me and I decided to take a picture.  I noticed some puddles surrounding a row of benches.  I took another picture.  Suddenly I realized that there were a lot of things to photograph.  I forgot about the muck that was covering my feet as I walked around the park, snapping images.

Apparently my first intention of the day was the correct plan.  I did spend time taking pictures.  They just weren't in the setting that I had originally imagined.  I am really thankful that the rain kept the crowds away.  It allowed me to view some watery sights that I would never have seen without its help.  I was also able to stow away my uncomfortable feelings about being rained on, if just for a few moments.  Maybe I can toss that squeamishness away forever.  It really is time I am over that.  Maybe next time it rains I should deliberately walk through a mud puddle with sandals on?  Hmmm....

The rain revealed normally hidden colors in the bark.

My daughter's stroller came with a rain protection "bubble".  Thank goodness!

Les Photos Du Jour

There were bunnies at the farmer's market on Saturday.  The line was long to get near the cage.  Their cuteness was worth the wait though.  

Musee d'Orsay

The last major stop on my March 2010 Parisian tour with my friend, E., was at the Musee d'Orsay.  It houses mostly French art created from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth.  There are a lot of the heavy hitters of the art world represented in this museum.  There are pieces by Monet, Manet, Degas, Renior, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Courbet, Millet, Toulouse-Lautrec, and on and on.  The Musee d'Orsay is housed in a Beaux-Arts train station.  Not only is the artwork fabulous, the atmosphere is extremely impressive as well.

The museum was being renovated at the time of our visit.  A large portion of the building was closed and many pieces of art had been relocated.  Although it made for tighter quarters, the relocation process had been tastefully done and did not detract from viewing the artwork.

The guide books advise to arrive when the museum opens.  We got up early and made sure that we were there when the doors opened.  Unfortunately everyone else visiting the Musee d'Orsay had also read the guide books.  We arrived at the same time as several large tour groups.  Thankfully we had bought tickets in advance so we didn't have to wait in a long tine to enter.  We did get stuck among many, many, many other visitors while walking through the exhibits though.

My favorite aspects of Impressionist artwork are the squiggly marks, the dashes of paint, the brush scrubbing, and all those fine details that look messy up close but wonderful when standing at a distance.  I had been excited to easily view the painterly marks in real life.  I quickly became discouraged when I had to trot at what I considered too quick of a pace, pushed along by the throngs of people behind me.  There were hordes of teenagers who couldn't have cared less about where they were and what they were viewing.  There were also tourists who were lining up to take pictures of their friends in front of the most famous pieces.  I felt very claustrophobic and annoyed that I couldn't see the artwork without others standing in front of it.

After being at the museum for about an hour, I tried to take a different approach in order to salvage this experience.  Instead of being exasperated by the people standing in front of the paintings, I decided to think of them as a vital part of the museum environment.  I could have more time with The Luncheon on the Grass in a book or online anyways.  Could I enjoy it more by thinking of the people viewing it as part of the painting?

I began to take photographs of the people while they stood in front of the pieces.  Once my agenda changed, my enjoyment increased.  I stood back and let what had previously annoyed me become my focus.  It was more interesting when I was making my own artwork than trying to jostle elbows to be front and center with the other tourists.  It is amazing what a difference a change of perspective makes.  I do hope that I will get another chance to visit the Musee d'Orsay again.  I also hope that the next time I go more people will decide to visit other attractions that day.

Sights on the Seine

People gravitate towards water.  Whether it is an ocean, lake, river, or just a puddle, people love to be near lapping waves and rippling pools.  This is no different in Paris.

The Seine River flows through Paris, spanned by thirty-seven bridges within city limits and countless more outside the city (according to wikipedia).  Riverboats, both commercial and recreational, make the river bustle.  But the most interesting thing to me were the people who were enjoying themselves along the banks.

In March 2010, after our visit to Notre Dame, E. and I took a walk along the Seine River.  We didn't descend the stairway to walk right along the water.  Rather we walked along the streets above, looking downwards towards the river.  Despite the lack of leaves on the trees and the whip of the wind, several people were enjoying the cobble-stoned pathways that run beside the quick current.  There were solitary sitters, young couples in love, as well as people on the move.  The sun was bright and people were enjoying their moment by the water.

It is difficult to see in the photo, but this man was carrying a pigeon in a box.  

A professional photographer doing his job.  I wonder what magazine these photos ended up in?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seine_river

A Mention of Notre Dame Cathedral

I feel disloyal by writing a post about Notre Dame in Paris before writing about the cathedral in Strasbourg.  But I also feel strange leaving it out completely in the synopsis of my March 2010 trip to Paris.  So I am posting pictures from Notre Dame but am not going to write much about it.  My lack of writing about it is not a commentary of how I liked it.  I enjoyed my visit very much.  The flying buttresses alone are worth the trip to see it.  

Looking up at the Louvre

There is nothing small and intimate about the Louvre.  Everything is on a grand scale.  The artwork plus the surroundings are large, opulent, rich, and somewhat imposing.  This is art that was made to impress.  Even the ceilings are luxurious. 

Here are some photos taken while looking up at the Louvre.