This morning we were booked in to le MusĂ©e dâOrsay at 10:00. From Wikipedia: âMusĂ©e dâOrsay is located on the Left Bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare dâOrsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. It houses the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world, by painters including Berthe Morisot, Claude Monet, Ădouard Manet, Degas, Renoir, CĂ©zanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gaugin, and Van Gogh. It is one of the largest art museums in Europe.â
The museum was unbelievable. To start with the building itself, an old train station, is absolutely beautiful. They have done a wonderful job renovating it into what it is today. I donât really know what to say about all of the pieces of art we saw there. It was just amazing to see some of the paintings that we all know and recognize. There were many Claude Monet paintings - Coquelicots, Water Lilies, Water Lilly Pond to name only a few. We saw Vincent Van Goghâs Self Portrait, and Sunflowers. Unfortunately Starry Night is currently on loan to a museum in Dubai. I could go on naming artists and their works but I think you get the picture. It was awe-inspiring to have such close access to so many masterpieces. Another thing that really stood out for us was the number of school classes that were on field trips to the museum. It was amazing to see all of the young children being taught about the different works of art. This is something that I donât think is prioritized in the Canadian education system back home, and unfortunately I think it is a great loss for our children. After a couple of hours we were starting to get saturated and decided it was the right time to leave. It is impossible to compare Orsay and le Louvre, but for me I would pick MusĂ©e dâOrsay first. I am definitely not saying anything negative about le Louvre, but if you can only do one I would recommend considering MusĂ©e dâOrsay.
By the time we left the museum and started heading back to the apartment huge snowflakes had started falling in Paris. Everybody seemed very excited. There were lots of people taking pictures of each other and of the sky. We would find out later that it is quite rare for it to snow in Paris. We had a chuckle about our âgood luckâ to be here when it was snowing, knowing that we are going back to -17 C temperatures and a foot of fresh snow. đ€Ł
After a couple hours relaxing, Amanda, Audrey, and I headed back out for one last bit of window shopping for the trip. We came back with a few small momentos purchased. A couple hours later it was time for our last French dinner of the trip. We headed across the street to Le Bistrot Richelieu which ended up being a popular choice with the locals. We were lucky that they had a free table for four. By the time we left the entire restaurant was full.
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| French Onion Soup - Audrey And Gerry |
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| Filet De Daurade Royale Juste RĂŽti - Gerry |
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| SuprĂȘme De Volaille Avec Ratatouille - JM |
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| Burger BĆuf dâAubrac - Audrey |
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| Beef Bourguignon Ă lâAncienne - Amanda |
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| CrĂšme BrulĂ©e - Audrey With Some Help From The Other Trois Putains đ€Ł |
This will be the last entry for our trip. It has been a wonderful experience for all of us. I am happy and thankful that Audrey and Gerry could share our experience here. They were amazing travel partners, and really immersed themselves in learning about the French culture, my family history, and in experiencing the country the way we had planned to. They also became quite proficient in the use of some key French phrases (and swears), and when to use them. Bravo, Gerry et Audrey!! đ
As for Mandy and I we accomplished all of the things we had planned out. The family history part of the trip meant a lot to both of us. As mentioned in earlier posts, for us to see some things my grandfather might have seen when he was here fighting in WWII, was very emotional. Also, seeing the places that my dad, and the Jossinet family, lived in was something I had wanted to do for a long time now. Hiking in the French Alps and seeing some important Tour De France landmarks was another highlight we will not forget. The food and pastries we experienced while we were here were unforgettable, and I hope the pictures we shared gave everybody an idea of how good it all tasted!! Observing the French people felt somewhat familiar to us, as some of the things they appreciate are reflected in some of the habits and behaviours I grew up with being around my dad and his family. â€ïž
Lastly, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you that have been reading the blog. I have enjoyed sharing our experience. If it wasnât obvious in the posts, I would highly recommend visiting France if you ever get the chance. The people are friendly, the scenery is amazing, the history and culture are very interesting, and the food is unbelievable!!
Merci et bonne nuit Ă tous mes amis!!
A few quick polls:
Favourite Spot Visited:
Audrey - Carcassonne
Gerry - Juno Beach (Carcassonne close second)
Mandy - Barcelonnette (Carcassonne close second)
JM - Barcelonnette (Carcassonne close second)
Favourite Food/Dish:
Audrey - Pizza Quatre Saisons - Paris
Gerry - Risotto Avec Fruits De Mer - Paris
Mandy - Pork Medallions With Mushroom Sauce - Carcassonne
JM - Fondu Savoyenne With Charcuterie Plate - Barcelonnette
Favourite Pastry:
Audrey - Kouign-Amann
Gerry - Pomme Chausson
Mandy - Croissant
JM - Croissant
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