July 22 - Art, and more Art!

July 22 – I (Merideth) woke up first this morning and got things in order for our day out, including a quick trip to the neighborhood boulangerie to get croissants for breakfast. After luring everyone out of bed with the fresh croissants, we spent the morning enjoying the Orsay museum, which features the largest collection of Impressionist art in the world. Both of the girls enjoy the Monet and Renoir paintings of the outdoors and everyday life (particularly if kittens are involved).

After lunch, we utilized our Paris museum pass some more to see some very special additional Monet paintings at the L’Orangerie. Monet painted a series of eight paintings that are six feet high and 50 feet long (or more) especially for this exhibition space. We had a wonderful time enjoying the beauty of the paintings, contemplating our favorite one.

From this museum we enjoyed the Tuilerries park where the museum is located, including another gelato stop; and surprisingly, a fun turn to jump on the trampolines available for younger visitors. Evelyn and Carolyn found them to be extra bouncy.

The day wrapped up at a nice café with my first beef tartare (raw beef with egg and seasonings). It was truly delicious. I’ll have to enjoy this dish a few more times while I’m here! Now, as I’m writing this entry, there is a nice steady rain coming down as night falls… we’ll see what tomorrow brings.