Leapfrog

I had my first real planning breakdown my third day in Paris- I was going to go to two museums, Musée d’Orsay and Musée Rodin, but I completely forgot that it was a Monday, and that almost all museums are closed on Mondays. Whoops. So I decided to walk towards a large glass building in the distance which turned out to be the Grand Palais, and they are open on Mondays. There was an odd exhibition going on, and it was entirely in French, so I was a little lost as my French vocabulary is really limited to the everyday basics, and this exhibit was some sort of puzzle/ matching game that provided a common element through seemingly unrelated works. It’s called Carambolage, which I was told translates to billiards. That turned out not to be the case, Carambolage is a term used in the game, but I am grateful to the patient frenchwoman I asked for her answer.

I then walked along The Avenue des Champs-Élysées for awhile before heading for The Seine towards the Eiffel Tower. Visiting that famous monument wasn’t on my list but it was easily visible from my starting position and I need a strong visual guide in order not to get lost. I’m very good at getting lost. Yes, going to see the Eiffel Tower is a completely oversold tourist activity, but it was amusing to watch all the tourist from different countries and speaking different languages taking the same photo with their arms raised, fingers pointed down ready to squish the very top of the impressive tower. I didn’t opt to walk up the, I’m assuming, 5 million stairs but the weather was very pleasant and I had a nice walk through the park, so I count the experience as a success.

I caught the metro by the Eiffel Tower and headed back to my friend’s apartment. I spent the afternoon walking around in her neighborhood with my camera, trying to see something new, but I got the feeling that I’ve gotten a lot so far in Paris– that this place has been bled dry by many generations of amazing artists. I’m looking forward to coming back to the city, if only just to visit all of the museums I missed out on, but right now, I’m not worried about leaving it.

My last morning in Paris was spent doing errands and playing cello. It was wonderful. I woke up, went to the bakery, went to the Monoprix, and then walked the 7 minute trip from where I was staying to the luthier’s shop. He handed me a french cello with a fresh and open tone and just let me hang out in his studio for a little while and noodle around. It felt amazing to play again, even if it wasn’t my instrument and I didn’t have any music. Then I headed back to the apartment, packed up, and took the metro (which I really mastered– I am very proud) to Paris L’Est, Paris Nord’s pretty little sister. I hopped on the train to Strasbourg, and here I am, ready to explore a new city.