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Published: September 1st 2011
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It is six years since we last visited Paris. At that time it was the middle of winter. Today it was supposed to be the end of summer. Paris has had a miserable summer this year and locals are already booking their winter holidays in tropical destinations. Pulling the curtains back we were met by rain running down the windows, a typical 2011 Paris summer day.
So, with all the necessary wet weather gear we headed for the RER train to take us into the centre of Paris. Having already seen some of the familiar sights on previous visits and since it was raining we chose the Musée de l’Orangerie gallery by the Jardin des Tuileries for our first stop. As we entered the first exhibition spaces we were greeted by Monet’s large panel paintings, inspired by his famous water garden at Giverny. Having recently visited Monet’s garden, seeing these works was something special. We could imagine ourselves walking over the bridge again, or peering down at the water lilies or wandering through the weeping willows. We enjoyed works by other artists including Renoir, Gauguin and Picasso, as well as more of Monet’s paintings.
We took a walk along Rue de
Rivoli and then into Place Vendôme to rub shoulders with the rich and famous outside the Ritz Hotel. For a brief moment we thought we were to become famous. Famous mugs. As we were admiring the Ritz, a woman appeared beside us, quickly bent down and when she stood up she had a man’s gold ring in her hand. Expressing surprise at her “find” she pressed it into our hands, explaining she was from Kosovo without a passport, so she couldn’t do anything with the “18 carat” ring and telling us it was our lucky day. “No we can’t take it”. “Yes you can”. Once the sad stories about having no family, it being her birthday and not even being able to afford a coca cola started we were quick to hand over the ring and walk away.
On previous trips we had tried to get to the large department stores of Galleries Lafayette and Printemps and never did so, but today was a good day to see how Parisiennes and other international jet setters spend their money. What an experience seeing big spenders with their shopping assistants work their way through the store. By the time the exercise was
completed the poor assistants were like walking parcel stands. Seeing a woman with her two well-trained dogs on a leash work her way through the Home Store department was something we had trouble understanding when at home only seeing-eye and hearing dogs get a chance to go shopping. We had our fingers crossed the little fellows didn’t mistake our legs for trees.
We enjoyed walking through the department stores with our wallets firmly tucked away in our pockets. Seeing products that are truly French and wondering how they would fit into our home back in New Zealand. But unlike many we saw this was not a spending spree and we left empty handed.
Using the wonderful Metro we headed back to the Gare du Nord and enjoyed an evening meal at a restaurant we visited on a previous trip. After a long day it was time to retrace our steps on the RER to our hotel in the suburbs and prepare a plan of attack for tomorrow. The weather must surely be favourable for at least one day in Paris.
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