Well I think that spring has finally arrived in Paris. When I went running yesterday I noticed that there were a lot of new flowers, bushes, and trees in bloom. The weather here has been rainy the last couple of days. It's cloudy right now actually and it was sprinkling when I went to get a baguette this morning. Rain seems to have a calming effect on the city. I don't mind it so much. I've got a waterproof jacket and pack back and that's all I need. There aren't as many people around when it rains, so hopefully it'll keep the tourists indoors today so I can enjoy the outdoors.
I've taken up sitting on the banks of the Seine and watching the sun set. Some spots are more crowded than others. If I can get there by 4:30 I can get a good seat. I generally read, do homework, or write in my journal, all the while taking pictures. Thursday night in particular was really pretty. We had an honest to goodness thunderstorm around 5:10pm complete with thunder, lightning, and heavy rain. It only lasted for maybe 30 minutes. Anyway when it was over the sun came out. I was on my way home at that point so I turned around and head towards the river. I began walking on the North Bank or the Right Bank heading towards the Louvre. There was actually a rain bow too. It hung over Ile de la Cite for a while making for a really pretty Parisienne cityscape. I finally called it quits when I ran out of memory space on my camera. So I sat across from the Musee d'Orsay writing in my journal until it got chilly and dark. For me that's Paris. Along the River.
Friday I spent the afternoon relaxing at the apartment. Then I headed out at about 6:00 pm to take more pictures of the sun set. However, it was cloudy except for a small gap in the clouds. I ended up walking along river and taking pictures of Les Invalides, bridges, and the Eiffel Tower. The thing with the Eiffel Tower is that whenever you see you can't help but take a picture with it in the background. Also the other funny thing is that if you can see from where you're at then the area you are in is probably very touristy. No joke. You can be 2km or 3km away, see it, and discover that you're in a touristy area. It's quite an interesting phenomenon. I ended up going to the Louvre again. Friday night's are great for the Louvre. I get in free, there's hardly anyone around (comparatively speaking), and it's open until 10:00pm. It's a great deal so I go Friday night's. It's the same on Wednesdays also but I haven't been yet on Wednesdays. It kind of goes without saying now, but I'll say it anyway...it took pictures. I spent time in the Renaissance, Napoleons apartments, and the Italian Paintings sections. I got some better pictures of the Mona Lisa this time because there were only 30 people there instead of 200. The thing about the Louvre is that there is so much stuff there that you can go 100 times and literally see something different every time. Oh yeah and it's free, I think I said already though. I ran into a friend from ISA. We tend to all have the same idea Friday nights. We made plans to go see the Musee de L'Orangerie.
Saturday began with me lounging around. You know how it is, some days you just don't want to get up. I met up my friend around 2:30pm at the Musee de L'Orangerie. It's really a cool museum. Once again I get in free because I am a student studying in Paris. The Musee de L'Orangerie holds eight very large Monet paintings. There are some other paintings but the Monet paintings are the main attraction. They are amazing! It's just so hard to describe so I won't. I'll just say you're going to have to find a way to see it for yourself. I did take some pictures but I was basically pointless. A picture in this case can't even say a single word. We went to the Marais to get some food. Inevitably we ended up at a Bakery buying sweets...it just can't be helped. Then we got some actual food at the Super Market. We walked around just looking around and talking. Sometimes in Paris it’s best just to walk and see what you can see. It got cold and was getting a little late and so we parted ways. I went and continued my exploration of the river banks. My only objective is to wonder and see things there's no real feeling of I have to see this thing or that. I ended up at Hotel des Invalides by the time it was really dark. I got some food at a Monoprix and went back to the apartment.
Today is going to be dedicated to working on a paper, homework, and reading. I'm going to try to find someplace to campout for the afternoon. Like a cafe or something. I will try to get some pictures up of the Louvre soon. I've got enough now that I think I can do it justice with its own picture page. Most of the pictures I had for a while were just from the outside. Oh and France is now on Day Light Savings Time, so we are now six hours ahead of the East Coast again. Anyway hope everyone is has a good week!
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