"when it drizzles"

What I learnt today.

Why is Paris so pleasing to the eye. There are no right angles. Paris is city built with a perspective. Every corner forces the eye to the focal point. Like a painting, the streets and, therefore the buildings creates lines that move the eye to the magic of perspective.

All this magic does no favors for the tourist. Streets disappear. Streets appear. They must be relabeled or moved during the night.

The subway called various names including Metro (M) follows the Parisian rule - no straight lines. They turn right and curve left. Moreover, there are commuter trains (RER) which are intermingled to assure confusion. And, they do not run in straight lines either. And they are in French with no subtitles.

Of course, we got lost. When the directions say six stops and get off. It means do not ride to the end of the line. We did get to see a non-tour book part of Paris called Cignacourt. We sat and ordered coffee to no one who spoke English. We got service outside and two expresso. Betty informed that it is Café Crème. About the same price as Starbuck's Latte Vente.

Our destination today was the Orsay Museum. The home of the Republic's Mid -1800-1920 collection of pre-Impression, Impression and post-Impression French artists. Monet, Renoir, Manet, Degas, Van Gogh, Sisley, Gauguin, Cezanne, Rodin are the attraction and, of course, they are on the fifth floor which is not really the fifth floor, as becomes evident when you study the museum map.

The fifth floor is where the people are. If you want to find tourists, search the Orsay and you find your next door neighbor holding his Rick Steven's guide book as close to his heart as you.

Rick Steven tells you so much and so little. But, Google Map and thousands of tourist Apps do no better. We are tourist and need to be given literally step by step directions. Literally, left foot in front of the other instructions. "Go thirty-eight steps to your right, walk down 14 steps".

We enjoyed the museum greatly. Betty taught me something I had never learned about Impressionist art. An Impression painting should be viewed from , at least, twenty feet away. Sit in the middle of the room and the paintings beauty is transforming.The result is remarkable. As you step away, the brush strokes blend to create detail you do not see standing in front of the painting. This is particular true with Sisley.

As you view the paintings, you see the evolution of Monet. When you see "Starry Night over the Rhone", you feel what the Van Gogh wanted you to feel. I never saw the young lovers in the painting before (his description in a letter to his brother - did you know he had a sister?). The self portrait is a man with too much energy knowing that he is running out of time. The madness is there but this man is not crazy. He is not running from demons. He is holding on. The give-away is the brush strokes. No madman could be that sure he is right.

We rented audio tours. Not greatly consistent, but worth the 5 Euros.

Lunch was at the Museum's Café. If anyone ever tells you that the French are not efficient and hard working, this café proves them wrong. The staff is efficient, polite and multilingual. I had the quiche and Betty had the Cod. The food was tasting and the Heineken Beer was great.

Breakfast was at the hotel. Good Coffee, very good bread, croissants, dates, slices of salami and ham and hard boil eggs - a French breakfast.

I also figured out one reason the French are thin. It is the portions. The plates and glasses are the right size for the meal. You are full, but not stuffed. The food has taste (no salt on the table even in a café). There is no rush, but you know when you are finished.

I also noticed that men do not have wallets in their back pocket. Not sure why or where they keep money etc. but no wallet bulge. Still have figure out why their clothes fit so well.

The women have two walks - sassy and the runway walk - honest. I am not making this up. You get the runway a lot, I am not complaining.

We saw the Seine River. It was impressive. It is a fast moving masonry banked river with a tourist boat every few minutes. Three hundred people speeding by wondering "why did I pick a 50 degree day with 15 mile wind to view Paris from a speeding boat on a river".

How did I get my Paris umbrella? I lost my Phoenix umbrella and went to LOST AND FOUND and asked if anyone found a black umbrella. By the way, all umbrellas in Paris are black.

Betty is resting. Dinner will be an adventure. Tomorrow.