Paris

Anna and I had a lovely breakfast Monday morning. Unfortunately she went off to work and we had to say goodbye, but we made plans to dance in Seattle this summer.

Paris is impressive, and the weather was perfect. I got into the city before the museums opened and I wandered. Two hours passed shockingly fast. Everywhere I looked I was experiencing things I had only heard about or read about. I had that feeling that I always get when I’m super happy. It’s the sensation that I’m a fluffy white cloud floating in a bright blue sky.
When I woke up to the fact that it was 10am I headed straight to the Orangerie for some Impressionism.

I spent nearly five hours in this little museum. I had an audio guide, I read every sign, and eavesdropped on every tour I could understand. One of the art guards teased me because I was there so long. He said I should leave because every time he saw me I was cold or crying.

Orangerie showed a movie on Monet’s Water Lilies. When I finally went upstairs to see them the impact was double because I knew a little history. I was so inspired. Monet had a dream to paint Water Lilies since hew was in his 20’s. He spent the last 30 years of his life working on that dream despite war, loss, and vision troubles. I’m going to visit his gardens in the near future.

After the Orangerie I was intellectually and emotionally drained. I wanted to see the Picasso Museum and Pompidou but I didn’t have the courage. So I ate and rented a bike.
Renting a bike was awesome! In Bellingham I rode everyday, in Metz I haven’t ridden in months. I’ve really missed my bike. Ridding in Paris traffic was thrilling. I’ve never ridden in so much traffic. Paris has wide streets and the drivers were really respectful. The drivers must be accustomed to bikes because Paris has a huge and popular bike renting program.

I got to see much more of the city because I was on bike. The world is more magical on a bike too. I was aimlessly riding around looking at pretty things and I found myself getting closer and closer to the Eiffel Tower. I’m sure the Eiffel Tower has the power to lure. I wasn’t planning on going up to the Eiffel tower. You can see it from many places in the city. I thought, “Oh, the Eiffel Tower isn’t anywhere close to the most interesting thing in Paris. I’m not going to waste my time on it.” Yet when I got there, I was genuinely excited.