Paris: Dachshunds, Water Lilies and the Eiffel Tower
Today started like no other. When I stepped into the street, I saw a gentleman walking with two Dachshunds; one a long-haired red and the other a short-haired black and tan.
I was still grinning like an idiot when I turned the corner into Boulevard de Sebastopol and saw another man walking a Corgi and a Dachshund. Life is good, and my thoughts immediately turned to Gatsby, whom I miss dreadfully but was having a wonderful holiday with my parents.
Musee de l’Orangerie
I went to the l’Orangerie when it opened at 9:00 am. This time, I knew to walk through the first room and straight into the second room, which I had to myself for about ten minutes.
I sat on the bench provided in silence and contemplated how someone could be so talented when I couldn’t even draw a stick man. Them’s the breaks. The Water Lilies are the most beautiful paintings I’ve ever seen.
I sat in awe for about thirty minutes but knew I had to move on. I had places to be and other sights to see!
When I exited the l’Orangerie, I saw a woman in bright yellow floral trousers walking a wire-haired Dachshund. How lucky can one girl get? Four sausage dogs in one day. In about two hours, actually.
River Seine Cruise
The walk to the Eiffel Tower is approximately 4km from the l’Orangerie.
The one-hour Seine River cruise was excellent and a relaxing and beautiful way to see Paris.
The day was cooler, only 21 degrees, and sitting on the boat’s top deck was cold. But the view was incredible and made up for the temperature. I met a lovely lady from New York (my other favourite city) who treated herself to this trip for her fortieth birthday on Monday. It was a last-minute booking encouraged by her daughter.
She goes home on Friday, as do I.
We went past Notre Dame, and she looked to be doing fine; she’s in excellent hands and is being well cared for. Most of the building is covered in scaffolding, but you can still see some parts. I understand why the French nation came together when she burned. What unique and irreplaceable history.
Construction began in 1163 and was completed in 1260. Many of Notre Dame’s religious artefacts and imagery were desecrated or destroyed during the French Revolution. Approximately twelve million visitors are estimated to walk through her doors every year, making her the most visited monument in Paris.
I had lunch in a lovely little restaurant called Cafe Gustave. A family with a young child who kept crying was at the table next to me.
When my food arrived, I offered them my bowl of chips, and sure enough, the child stopped crying. I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like. And it seems the same can be said for the young boy.
Eiffel Tower
I was nervous about the trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I am both claustrophobic and scared of heights. Not a great combination. The elevator ride was quick but very wobbly. I squeezed my eyes closed and prayed.
I went as far as the second floor but not the third. Baby steps. Next time I’m in Paris, I’ll brave the third level!
The view is fascinating. Paris is very greige (grey \ beige), but today there seemed to be more trees, more colour.
The Hausmann buildings, synonymous with Paris, are stunning and were built in the time of Napoleon I.
The Eiffel Tower was initially red and considered ugly by the residents of Paris. In later years, it was painted yellow, and only relatively recently, in 1968, was it painted its current colour, “Eiffel Tower Brown”, which serves the purpose of keeping rust at bay.
The tower is painted every seven years by a group of painters known as acrobats. It takes approximately eighteen months to paint as they use brushes (not spray).
An artist has no home in Europe except in Paris.
Friedrich Nietzsche
