Started out this lovely Monday morning with a trip to the La Poste. Had quite a bunch of postcards to send back to the states. Funny how the lines there were just as long and slow as they are back home. Some tendencies are clearly international.
I then checked out this Picard chain of stores I had heard of. Their speciality? Everything that is frozen food. And quite good looking frozen food if I do say so myself. I picked up a few odds and ends for a dinner to come.
I then hopped onto the Métro and went straight to the Trocadero to be about as touristy as I could be. I´m also glad to report that the Navigo Découverte worked perfectly! Time to use and abuse. The Trocadero offers the best and most uninterrupted views of the Tour Eiffel...quintessential tourist shot. I am happy.
I then went into the Museum of Architecture and Patrimony. Because of what I´m guessing are my manners and my smoothness of speaking French, I was considered a student of the EU and let in for free! The museum boasts architectural remnants off of just about every major church in the country of France from Chartres to Notre Dame in the center of the city. Everything started to blend together after a while, but the real highlight was an original entire apartment from Le Corbusier´s Unité d´Habitation in Marseille. Google away. The whole thing was rebuilt in the gallery and you could walk through the entire interior; that was a real treat. Although the question that kept popping into my head was: how and why did this stuff get here? Most of these buildings are still standing. Couldn´t find the answer to that conundrum anywhere...
By the time I got through this museum, I was starving. Unfortunately, the sandwiches in the food court were short and 5 euros....I muttered to myself that I could so do better. So I trotted down one of the radiating streets and, sure enough, found a patisserie with a huge tuna baguette sandwich for 3,50 euros. Score. Also, found the best place to sit and enjoy it: on the steps down from the Trocadero. Calm, few people, and glorious views of the Tour Eiffel :) After lunch, I walked under the Tour and took a peek at the menu of the illustrious Restaurant Jules Verne on the upper étage of the Tour. 165 euros for a full meal and 70 euro à la carte. 24 euro desserts. INSANE.
Hopped on the Métro and took it to the Palais Royale, the site of the Salon D´Automne of 1912 that I´m studying. Much to my disappointment, most of the building was under heavy renovation work. However, while circumambulating the building, one giant fair door was open and I got a lovely view of the main exhibition hall. Really breathtaking. I parked on a bench across from the main entrance to contemplate and stuff and had a guy try to pull the gold ring con on me. I don´t know the specifics, but they pretend to find a ring on the ground in front of you and offer it to you...I would assume for some sort of money...or pickpocketing...who knows...shook my head. Fun fact: Aston Martin´s Paris dealership backs up to the Grand Palais...distractions
Hopped back on the Métro and attempted to find the original gallery space for the Salon de la Section D´Or, a Cubism exhibition that was running at the same time as the Salon D´Automne. Mega unfortunately, the original space at 64 bis, rue de la Boétie has now become some sort of a high class beauty salon or school or something.
I hopped on the Métro still again to find the location of Daniel Henry-Kahnweiler´s gallery (gallerist to Picasso and Braques and arguably one of the most important facilitators of the history of Modern Art). Along the way ran into the Fauchon store. Decorated in black and pink à la Victoria´s Secret, but chocolate and delacacies galore. Though the entire wall of fois gras was a little disturbing I couldn´t help but walk out with a bar of (fruity?) chocolate. At 28, rue Vignon, the address of the gallery, I found the huge door open to a courtyard. The elegant metal and glass portico off of one wall of the courtyard certainly had the air of what could have been the gallery, but alas, also has now become a beauty salon. Trend?
I then trotted by the Bibliothèque Nationale de France where I hope to do research in the next couple days. Along the way to the original Monoprix I found in my first few days (because the one by me only carries clothes, cosmetics, and cleaning supplies?) I got a tad bit lost...and ended up at the grand magasin of Au Printemps...rough life, right? All looking, no buying as pretty much everything was out of my price range (still can´t quite see 1500 euros for a Lanvin sweater). Yay Monoprix...got me some good foodstuffs for future dinners. Tonight I made some tortellini with baquette bread and wine.
Most of the museums are closed on Monday, so I have quite a bit of catchup to do tomorrow!
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