A Walk through Paris

It's a grey morning today in Metro Manila. The horizon is invisible from my eleventh-floor window: no sign of the Laguna Lake, Makati buildings usually seen from a distance have been erased and the sky looks like it's stretched its tunic down to cover the whole metropolis.

There's a light rain. I can't see it falling but you know it's there because the pavement is dark with damp. And once in a while the breeze blows the spray into the window.The air is cool, the the mood is lazier than the usualy lazy Sunday morning and it's the perfect time to reminisce.

I can't help but remember the similar weather in Paris. We woke early after a long slumber on our first night there, eager to cover ground we missed because of our exhaustion. We headed down to the hotel's tiny but cozy breakfast area where we were served freshly-baked baguettes and croissants and confiture, butter,coffee and orange juice. It was a simple continental breakfast but it was enough. And it was good.

We headed out the hotel and into the grey Paris morning. It was cold, as usual, and I had my scarf wrapped all he way up to my chin, gloves doubles and bonnet set on my ears to keep the chill out. We consulted our map then and decided the first place we would visit would be The Louvre. Why there? Because it was walking distance from our hotel! Just three blocks down! We crossed onto the Quai de Magisserie and walked down the Quai de Louvre. We were entering from the eastern side, and our first glimpse of the louvre was it's palace. The Louvre used to be one, lived in by the likes of Henri IV and Louis Xiii. Even Catherine Medici had a hand in redesigning it in the 1600s. It's name bespoke its presence: Le Grande Louvre.

We entered through the Cour Carree, where we were greeted by pigeons and their poop. We surmised that this great courtyard was likely where horses and horsemen were to wait for their masters. It was soooooo big! Imagine the the whole open parking lot of the Megamall facing edsa, bounded only on all sides by 200-year old Renaissance structure. That's the Cour Carree.

We walked on, looking for IM Pei's famous pyramids. We didn't have a Louvre map and were going on by instinct. We saw an arch way and walked through it. Turns out it was a short tunnel, but as we focused on what was at the end, the tunnel seemed shorter than it really was, because there, standing majestically at the other end was the glass pyramid! It was huge! And though Bezu Fache in the Da Vinci Code called it a scar on the face of Paris, I thought it was lovely. We quickly snapped away, having our little photo shoot right there. There was a bit of sun breaking and it made the day brighter, allowing us to compose better shots. Too bad we didn't realize that one of the fountains was actually the base of the inverted pyramid. Had we known, we would've stepped in and looked at the smaller one underneath, and pay homage to the Holy Grail! hahahah. We thought it was a fountain so we didn't bother to peek. Instead, Bubba the bear got a photo atop the rim. Sigh. Too bad.

We decided to enter the museum later in the afternoon, when the entrance fees were discounted (from (.00 Euros to 7.50!). So we walked out of the great courtyard and crossed to the Esplanade des Tuileries. From here we could glimpse the Eiffel Tower in the distance. And then we had another spate of picture taking. The Jardin was one of the most beautiful gardens in Paris during the spring and summer months. Unfortunately, when we were there the winter had just ended and it was slowly turning into spring, so, the flowers and leaves hadn't come out yet. But just the same, I marvelled at the well-manicured lawns and well-kept fountains. There were chairs and benches scattered all over the park to accumulate relaxing Parisians and visitors. Which incude Parisian pets.

Now, this is one thing I noticed: Parisians love their dogs. It seemed like everyone had a pet dog that walked with them all over the city...and pooped all over the city too! They were welcome inside restaurants and public vehicles. I guess I found it bizarre because here at hmome, we don;t really prioritize care for animals--I mean, how can you do that when most people in fact can't say they've had three square meal in a day. There was hardly a stray dog in sight. All of them had owners, and they looked bathed and well-fed. I bet if they could, their masters would teach them how to smoke and say merci! That's how loved these creatures are.

So anyway, what was next? We decided to visit the Musee D'Orsay. It was on the other side of the island and we had to cross a bridge to get there. So we walked again and crossed the Pont Royale. Right now I would like to advise everyone to WALK when you're in another coutnry. Especially when you're in a place like Paris. The only way to really see and feel you're here is to WALK. It's the best advice I can give. And I assure you now you will not regret it!

We got to the Musee D'Orsay and there was a massive line of visitors waiting outside. Ther ewere no clear signs of where to get tickets or what the line was for, so my husband says, "Dali, tanong mo what we should do". I took a deep breath and started asking in my barbaric French what line was for tickets where. The nice doorman said to me, "Madame, you just get in queue and buy your tickets inside." And he smiled. So Benc and I lined up. The lined moved slowly. But it moved. Apparently, they let in about 25 people at a time so as not to clog the inner salon where tickets were purchased. That was smart. I didn't mind waiting as long as I knew the line was moving and those in charge were really in charge. Even if it began to drizzle a little. It was amazing that even though the cold rain started to fall, the line didn't thin out. Umbrellas just sprouted.

We finally entered the warm salon an hour later. We got a couple of guides and made a beeline for the renaissance and impressionist artists. We walked down a set of stairs then turned a corner and I was greeted with a very warm, overwhemingly tingly feeling when I saw the main hall. The museum was actually an old train station that had been converted into a museum in 1986. Again the French's love and respect for history and art was astounding. Imagine, a railway station out of the ruins of a civil war, then into a museum! It was fantastic. The arched glass ceilings and the long hallway, which probably served as the platforms were all stocked full with sculpture and painting. It was just beautiful. And I decided right there, that I knew I would like the Musee D'orsay more than the Louvre.

We began our exploration. We saw Monet and Manet's art, focusing of course on the paintings at Giverny, Le Dejeuner, Girl with an umbrella. I felt my hair stand on end when I was looking at Monet's masterpieces. How long had I waited for that moment! To actually be in the presence of this art! He was, for as long as I could remember, one of my favorite artists. All that time, since I was a little girl, I had tried to understand the quarrel that erupted during his time, the disgust "critics" felt because of his use of light. I couldn't get my head around it! All I knew was that it moved me, it was beautiful, and that I didn't need shadows to define what I saw in the light. And now that I was there, it just blew my mind. I was here! I was looking at it up close, and I would remember that moment forever!

We also definitely had to see Van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles and Starry Night over the Rhone, as well as his paintings of farm and wheatlands. A must for us also was Degas and his ballerinas--because these were done in watercolor at the turn of the century, they had to be preserved in low light. This only gave it a more mystical glow. Other works we saw were those of Cezanne, Matisse and Rodin. We wanted to see the Thinking Man but it was located at the Rodin Museum near the Eiffel Tower, which was still a long way away. We decided, maybe tomorrow.

Phew! It was so wonderful. I loved D'Orsay! And after feeding our souls with art, we decided it was time for some food. So off we went to find some cheap grub. But on our way out, we spied a man selling paintings on enamel. These were pantings of Paris scenes in watercolor, gingerly set on tiles. It was interesting. And thought people thought we were crazy for buying them, I didn't care. I wanted some street paintings as memorabilia, not something manufactured in a department store. We decided to buy three: a scene on the Champs-Elysee, Mont Martre, and the Pont Royale. Again I was able to get by with a little French and a lot of smiling.

We had a sandwich lunch on the Rue de Banc, near the museum. It was okay, except that we paid 8 Euros for bottled water. DARN! The harassed waiter misunderstood me when I asked for a caraffe d'eau or I misunderstood him when he motioned for deux d'eau. URG. Whatever. We decided to make our requests clearer next time.

Next on the list: Notre Dame. Notre Dame was actually near our hotel, so we walked back the way we came, crossing the Pont Notre Dame (what else?) to the Ile de la Cite. We walked by the Seine again, and I couldn't help but notice the strong current, the ducks and pigeons hovering on its banks and the fact that there was no foul smell. This, despite the cruise boats plying the river and the fact that is flows by the busiest streets of the city. I felt a pang of regret for the Pasig.

By this time, the rain started coming in bursts and we had to stop a few times and find refuge under the doorways of buildings. LIttle did we know we were actually walking by a fortress-prison, the Conciergerie. No wonder there were so many policemen in this area! Hahaha This island delta in the middle of the Seine was actually the cradle of Parisian civilization. The Parisii tribe lived here, and several kings made this island the center of all religious, judicial and political activity in the middle ages. The Notre Dame is one of three remaining medieval structures on the island, and in fact, on its plaza is a zero point by which all distances of other towns in Paris are measured.

The Notre Dame came into view just as the rains stopped! And the sun came out! It was baffling to see all these gargoyles and sculptures and heavy wooden doors all still standing. It was more unbelievable when you are reminded that these were all done by hand in the 1100s. Just looking at it from the outside was awesome. We entered the church and the big stained glass baroque rose window shone on the wide floor of the cathedral. The carvings inside the church were even more intricate, covering an expanse of almost two basketball courts. This really tends to shush you up. There is a quiet solemnity that grabs you and you just stare in wonder at the history that surrounds you. At one point Benc decided he wanted to climb up to the spires. I told him I couldn't do it and that I would wait for him outside. So Istepped out and looked for a toilet at the same time. In Europe, you pay for toilet use, to help keep it clean. There's really no fixed cost; usually a few cents should cover it. However, if you are entering a restaurant just to pee and not eat there, they could charge you up to 50 cents for the toilet. When I emerged from the toilet, Benc said he couldn't find the line for the entrance to the spires. I pointed it to him but he said nevermind, and that we should head to the Louvre.

It was 4.30pm when we got back to the Louvre. We entered the main courtyard now, where we could gaze at the pyramids. And this time, it really rained! We munched on some baon we took with us, and tried to keep dry under one of the doorways. We stayed hunched against the cold for one and a half hour, waiting for 6.00 pm, when the tickets would be discounted! Geez! At 6.00 pm, we entered the revolving doors, and took an elevator down into...a waiting area! Egad! We didn't have to wait in the cold rain after all! There was a little "mall" where we could've had coffee and some merienda. *Sigh* Lessons learned.

So we bought our crummy discoutned tickets and made our way to the main gallery, where La Joconde was waiting. All we had to do was follow the photos and the crowd. We piled into a large, large room where in the middle was a glass case. Inside was the Mona Lisa. And that was it. She was no bigger than a rock and roll poster. And she did look like a man. But thanks to Dan Brown, you would think that there was something afoot with her expression. Maybe she was hiding a secret under her dress, or behind her, or maybe she just wanted to trick us all.

We left the Mona Lisa to explore the other parts of the museum. It was humongous! It was impossible to actually see everything in a day. We concentrated on the artifacts of Mesopatamia and early civilasation: the code of Hammurabi, Nike and Venus de Milo. The exhibits were scattered in far ends of the museum and though we wanted to visit them all, we couldn't. We resolved to spend more time here when we return--in ten years maybe, haha. It was chocfull of knowledge, no doubt, but it could be too much, especially for a couple of tourists who had limited time. We finished exploring at around 7.30 or 8 pm and we were bushed!

We decided to go home to the hotel. We were too tired to look for an open restaurant and so Benc decided to go to the nearby convenience store to buy some bread and hot chocolate. We ate this with our left-over sausages from the night before, which seemed to taste better. No kidding! :)

We washed up and brushed our teeth and stretched a bit before snuggling into bed. It was a full day! And a memorable one too. Tomorrow was Eiffel Tower day. We couldn't wait. But first we had to get some rest. And that we did. :)