Sylvia by Otto Dix at the Pompidou Museum

AFTER MOVING WE HIT THE STREETS AND IT'S OFF TO THE POMPIDOU, OR MUSEE NATIONAL DE ARTE MODERN, TO VIEW THE COLLECTION.....THEY'RE ALL THERE.....THE MODERN MASTERS.....MY FAVORITES ARE MATISSE, OF WHICH THERE IS A LARGE GROUP, INCLUDING THE 4 LARGE BRONZE BACKS, LOTS OF CUT PAPER AND THE DESIGNS FOR THE CHAPEL OUTSIDE OF NICE. PICASSO IS THERE ZANDISKY, DELAUNY, MIRO, CALDER, IN ADDITION TO SOME OF HIS MOBILES, THERE ARE SEVERAL OF HIS WIRE SCULPTURES OF HEADS AND A FEMALE FIGURE (COOL !).....THERE ALL THERE. WE MADE THE MISTAKE OF NOT KNOWING WHAT WE WANTED TO SEE OR WHAT WE WERE IN FOR AND SAW THE WHOLE THING. ABOUT 3 HOURS WORTH AND AFTER TRAVELING ALL DAY, WE WERE EXHAUSTED !

Art Overdose

OUTSIDE THE MUSEUM WE HAD A CHEESE COVERED HOT DOG AND LOOKED UP TO ENCOUNTER A 8' TALL ZADKINE, RIGHT THERE ON THE STREET. I REALIZED RIGHT AWAY, SOMETHING THAT I'VE ACKNOWLEDGED BEFORE, WE, ROSEMARY AND I, LIVE IN A KNEE JERK BACKWATER OF A TOWN THAT REFUSES TO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE IN THE MODERN WORLD AND JUST CAN'T SEEM TO DISPLAY ANY CURRENT ART ON THE STREETS. JESUS, IT MIGHT CONFUSE OR OFFEND SOMEONE, CAN'T HAVE THAT. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS COLLECTED FOR PUBLIC ART AND OUR ESTEEMED CITY FATHERS JUST CAN'T FIND ANYTHING MUNDANE ENOUGH TO SPEND IT ON.....ASSHOLES !.....BUT I DIGRESS.....THE ZADKINE IS AWESOME DUDE AND WE GROCK IT THE MOST. NOW IT'S STREET FOOD, A METRO RIDE AND BEDDIE BYE FOR WE INTREPID TRIPSTERS.

THE ENSUING DAY IT'S MONDAY AND MOST OF THE MUSEUMS ARE CLOSED.....THE L'ORANGERIE IS NOT AND THERE YOU WOULD HAVE FOUND US ENJOYING THE SOUTERNES, MANETS, MONETS (HIS WATER LILIES FILL TWO LARGE, OVAL, BASEMENT ROOMS), RENOIRES, ETC. IT IS HERE THAT I FINALLY SEE WHAT ALL THE HOOPLA ABOUT CEZANNE IS ABOUT.....IN THE FLESH HIS COLORS AND METHOD OF APPLYING THEM ARE FANTASTIC AND SEEMINGLY VIBRATE RIGHT OFF THE CANVAS.

WE PURCHASED MUSEUM PASSES, WHICH GIVE ACCESS TO 65 - 70 MUSEUMS AND NATIONAL MONUMENTS (A GREAT BUY) AND PROCURED METRO PASSES FOR ONE WEEK (ALSO A GREAT BUY), AND AVOIDED WAITING IN LONG LINES TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR THE BALANCE OF OUR TIME IN PARIS.

ONE OF THE FIRST ADVENTURES ON THE METRO WAS TO PLAN OUR ESCAPE.....OFF TO THE GARE LYON TO GET T.V.G RESERVATIONS TO GET OUT OF DODGE WHEN WE WERE READY TO LEAVE GAY PARIS (REMEMBER WHEN GAY MEANT HAPPY?)

Taking it to the streets

THAT EVENING WE STROLLED THE LATIN QUARTER AND SUPPED ON CHEEP GREEK.....GYROS AND FRITTS FOR ME AND A GYROS ALONE FOR ROSEMARIE. ON OUR JOURNEY HOME THERE APPEARED BEFORE US AN ACCORDION PLAYER AND HIS ACCOMPANIMENT OF A FEMALE VOCALIST, THERE, RIGHT IN THE METRO, SINGING AND PLAYING FOR THEIR SUPPER. AAHHHHH PARIS.....LET'S SEE.....I COULD PULL THIS OFF.....JUST NEED A FEW SONGS.....OVER AND OVER, UUMMMMMMM.....IT WAS QUITE ROMANTIC AND DID WARM US. TRULY !

ON THE DAY THAT FOLLOWED WE WENT TO THE ORSAY.....RECENTLY REMODELED FROM A GRANDE " FIN DE CICLE" PARIS TRAIN STATION AND STILL LOOKING LIKE ONE, IN A NEO CLASSICAL STYLE. IT IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREAT MUSEUMS THAT HOUSES WORKS OF THE 19th CENTURY.....NOW IN PARIS THAT ONLY SEEMS TO HAVE COVERED ABOUT 64 YEARS.....PECULIAR, HEY WHAT? WE MOVED FROM THE ART OF THE SALON AND THE ACCADAMIE TO THE IMPRESSIONISTS.....WE FOLLOWED RICK STEVE'S MONA WINKS GUIDE HERE AND COVERED ONLY THE HIGHLIGHTS AND SPEEDING THROUGH MUCH OF WHAT IS HOUSED THERE. STILL WE HIT THE WALL.....AFTER VIEWING AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF GREAT ART AND FAILING TO STOP FOR LUNCH, I WAS NEARLY COMATOSE AND HAD TO BE GUIDED BACK TO OUR DOMICILE BY MY GRACIOUS AND LOVING COMPANION, ROSEMARIE, THANK GOD IN HIS INFINITE RADIANT WISDOM FOR GRANTING HER THE STRENGTH TO DO SO. I POUNDED Z's HARD FOR TWO HOURS AND WAS READY TO DINE AFTER A DAY SPENT WITH MATISSE, PICASSO, VAN GOGH, GAUGUIN, SARAT, CEZANNE, RENOIR, AND ALL THEIR CRONIES AND OUR FIRST ENCOUNTER OF THE TRIP WITH MAILLOL, ONE OF MY FAVORITE SCULPTORS. THE ORSAY, WOW !

THAT EVE WE ATE IN A MEMORABLE BRASSERIE OF WHICH I UNFORTUNATELY HAVE FORGOTTEN THE NAME, CONSUMED A LESS THAN MEMORABLE CHICKEN IN A POT, ACTUALLY I DO REMEMBER IT, IT WAS ONE TOUGH, UNDERCOOKED, BIRD. THE BAR TOP IN THIS BRASSERIE RIGHT OUT OF A PERIOD MOVIE WAS OF ZINC AND I WAS GRATIFIED TO LEARN THAT SLURPING SOUP WITH HUGE TABLE SPOONS IS IN, IN FRANCE. I NO LONGER FEEL SO SELF-CONSCIOUS WHEN I DO SO, SO THERE !

Chateau Chantilly outside Paris

ANOTHER DAY, NOVEMBER 1st TO BE EXACT, A HOLIDAY FOR FRANCE, I KNOW NOT FOR WHAT OR WHOM. CHANTILLY LACE AND A PRETTY FACE, HAIR HANGING DOWN, DOWN NEAR THE GROUND, A WIGGLE IN A WALK, A GIGGLE IN A TALK, MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND, ROUND, ROUND.....WE TRAINED NORTH 1/2 HOUR TO THE CHÁTEAU OF CHANTILLY.....MAYBE IN MY NEXT LIFE, PERHAPS IN MY LAST AND CERTAINLY NOT IN THIS.....DID I, WILL I, DO NOT I, LIVE IN SUCH A PLACE.....A DREAM FANTASY CASTLE WITH MOAT, GARDENS, CHAPELLE, SPIRES, GREAT ANTIQUE BOOK AND ART COLLECTION, SWANS AND A STABLE / EXHIBITION HALL ALMOST AS GRANDE AND LARGER THAN THE CHÁ TEAU.....ANOTHER WORLD, ANOTHER TIME, AND MAJORLY INTO THE HUNT. DOGS, WILD BOAR AND STAGS. WHOA ! WE FOUND IT AFTER FAILING TO CORRECTLY DECIPHER THE SIGNS, COSMIC AS WELL AS STREET, AN ASSURANCE THAT WE WERE ON THE RIGHT PATH AND A ROMANTIC STROLL DOWN A TREE COVERED, LEAF STREWN PATH AND A WET, FOG ENSHROUDED, TRAVERSE OF THE LENGTH OF A RACETRACK FOR HORSES, A GRASS RACE TRACK. THIS WE DID RATHER THAN GO TO VERSAILLES AND WERE GLAD WE DID. ENCHANTÉ ! UPON LEAVING THE CHÁ TEAU WE SPIED A SIGN WHICH WISHED US AND SHOWED US THE WAY, IT UTTERED " BONNE ROUTE ", WE WERE ON ONE.

the Sardines of Kings - a poster at Chez Denise

THAT EVENING IT WAS CHEZ DENISE IN LES HALLS. ANOTHER FRENCH BRASSERIE.....THIS ONE MEMORABLE. OUR DINNER COMPANION OF THE EVENING WAS JACQUES, WHO HAD BEEN GOING THERE FOR 26 YEARS.....I HAD RABBIT STEW AND ROSEMARIE HAD LAMB AND HARICOTS.....WE DRANK VIN ROUGE, LAUGHED AND HAD A GREAT EVENING SERVED BY A TYPICAL, CRUSTY, APRON TO THE FLOOR ENSCONCED WAITER, IN A RED ROOM WITH LOTS OF ART BY LOCAL ARTISTS AND A POSTER DEPICTING 4 NUDE WOMEN CLAD IN MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE IN A LARGE SARDINE CAN WITH THE LOGO " LES SARDINES DE ROIS".....THE SARDINES OF KINGS.....I SUPPOSE THAT I MUST HAVE AGREED.....I AM THE PROUD POSSESSOR OF A PHOTO OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED ARTICLE, AND I'M TELLING YOU ABOUT IT NOW.

Reclining figure by Ossip Zadkine

THE DAY THAT FOLLOWED, IT WAS TO POULAINES BAKERY. WE READ ABOUT IT IN THE SMITHSONIAN AND WHEN WE MENTIONED THIS WE WERE SHOWN THE WOOD FIRED BRICK OVENS IN THE BASEMENT AND ADMONISHED " NO PHOTOS !" WE RESPECTED THIS WISH AND TOOK IT AS OUR COMMAND. ROLLS, TARTS, SODA BREAD WE DID DEAL IN AND THEN RETIRED TO THE FORMER STUDIO OF OSSIP ZADKINE. WOW !.....FANTASTIC WORK, WELL DISPLAYED INSIDE AND OUT IN THE GARDEN.....INSPIRING AND IMPRESSIVE CUBIST STUFF.....NEXT, TO THE MAILLOL MUSEUM, HOUSED IN THE HOME OF HIS FORMER MODEL DINI VERNAY, WHO RECEIVED ALL THE WORK IN HIS POSSESSION UPON HIS DEPARTURE FROM THIS REALM. I HAVE LONG LOVED HIS WORK AND IT WAS A GREAT TREAT TO FINALLY SEE SOME IN THE FLESH. ON A GRANDE SCALE, 1 1/2 TIMES LIFE SIZE IN HIS STYLE OF EXAGGERATED REALISM, THE SO ROUND, SO FIRM, SO FULLY PACKED FORMS WERE A PLEASURE TO SEE BUT NOT FONDLE AS THERE WERE GUARDS IN ALL THE ROOMS, TOO BAD, AS I LOVE TO COP A FEEL OF SOME HEAVY METAL BUTT.

Gettin Picasso's Goat

FILLED WITH MUSEUM FEVER BUT NOT YET OVERLOAD, NOW IT WAS THE PICASSO WE WENT TO SEE. OUR MAN PABLO HAD KEPT 5 OR SO PIECES FOR HIS PERSONAL COLLECTION EACH YEAR DURING HIS LONG LIFE. THE SLY DOG LEFT NO WILL SO HIS HEIRS AND THE STATE HAD THE EXTREME PLEASURE OF SQUABBLING OVER HIS ESTATE. THE PICASSO MUSEUM IN PARIS HOUSES THE STATES SHARE OF THE BOOTY AND WHAT A SHARE IT IS ! A LIFE'S RETROSPECTIVE IN AN OLD RENOVATED HOTEL. TRÉ S COOL !

DUSK COMING ON WE ARRIVE IN THE TULLERIES, THE GARDENS OF THE LOUVRE. WE STEPPED NOT INSIDE, UNIMAGINABLE I KNOW, ON A EXCURSION TO PARIS, NOT TO ENTER THE LOUVRE, BUT HEY, WE'RE UNCONVENTIONAL.....AS I STARTED TO STATE.....THE TULLERIES.....UNDER THE COVER OF DARKNESS WE TROD UPON THE FORBIDDEN EXPANSES OF LAWN TO FINALLY FONDLE THE MAIDENS OF MAILLOL THAT RESIDE RECUMBENT AND ERECT THERE. FEEL, FEEL, FLASH, FLASH A PHOTO AND RUN TO THE NEXT PIECE TO REPEAT THE PROCESS AND ESCAPE UN-SCOLDED. IMAGINE, THESE MUST BE MILLION DOLLAR SCULPTURES JUST HANGING OUT IN THE YARD FOR ME TO CARESS. UUMMMMMM YUMMY ! ONE WAS CALLED HOMAGE TO CEZANNE AND WAS OFFERED BY MAILLOL, GRATIS, TO THE BIRTH TOWN OF CEZANNE.....IT WAS SUMMARILY REFUSED.....CAN YOU IMAGINE.....BOGGLES THE MIND.....YOU WOULD THINK YOU WERE IN A PROVINCIAL TOWN LIKE SAN DIEGO. THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT WAS ONLY TOO HAPPY TO BE THE RECIPIENT OF SUCH A LOVELY PIECE, ALONG WITH THE OTHERS THAT MAILLOL GIFTED THEM AND THEY ARE PROUDLY DISPLAYED FOR THE WORLD TO SEE AND ENJOY. WE SAW, WE FELT, WE ENJOYED.....BLISS.....

ON THIS EVENING OF A JAMB PACKED DAY, IT WAS TO THE TOUR Ï EIFFEL WE DID GO.....TO THE TOP.....THE LIGHTS OF PARIS AT NIGHT.....A CLEAR, LIMPID, FORTICIOUSLY LUCID NIGHT....WHAT A VISTA.....TO THE BAR WE DID GO.....BISQUIT V.S.O.P......TO THE DINING ROOM WE DID GO.....AT ROSEMARIE'S SISTER TRICIA'S INSISTENCE AND AS A TREAT FROM SHE, WE DINED THERE AND IT WAS VONDERBAR. ONION SOUP, DUCK AND BRAISED MUSHROOMS, CHEESE, ARMANGNAC, PRUNE SOUFFLÉ.....ALL FAB, IN A WONDROUSLY MODERN, THEME EIFFEL RESTAURANT.....CAFÉ ESPRESSO AND A WALK THROUGH THE PARK IN FRONT OF THE ILLUMINATED TOWER. THIS TIME WATCHING PARISIANS AS THEY RELIEVED THEIR HOUSE BOUND DOGS ON THE VERBOTEN LAWNS. AH PARIS ! WHAT A DAY!

NOV.3.....TO THE OPERA DE PARIS TO CHECK OUT THE CHEGAL CEILING.....CLOSED FOR RENOVATION.....MAYBE NEXT TIME.....I HOPE THERE IS ONE.....SO MUCH TO DO .....SO MUCH TO SEE IN THIS WORLD OF OURS.....

NOW IT'S SHOP TILL YA DROP.....FOR BRITTINA A COSMIC FANTASY, SILVER CHRISTMAS GIFT IS FOUND, FOR ME A SCARF, GLOVES AND A BERET, WINTERS COMING ON AND IT'S COLD. THE SALES HELP IS INCREDIBLY RUDE, CHEWING GUM, CHATTING TO ANOTHER CLERK.....BARELY ACKNOWLEDGING THE RECEIPT OF MY DOUGH RAY ME....I'D CAN HER....SURE NOT NORDSTROMS !

TO THE SAINTE CHAPPLLE.....BLUE AND GOLD INTERIOR.....VERY FRENCH.....UPSTAIRS TO VIEW THE WONDROUSLY INCREDIBLE STAINED GLASS OF THIS GOTHIC JEWEL.

MORE ONION SOUP.

NOTRÉ DAME.....HO.....HUM.....ANOTHER ONE.....BEING RENOVATED.

SHOP, SHOP, BACK TO POULAINES, A HUGE ROUND OF SOURDOUGH TO TAKE TO NICE AND OTHER PASTRIES AND BREAD FOR THE TRAIN RIDE. VIEW AN AMAZING, HUGE, EQUESTRIENNE FIGURE BY CESAR (A GUY I THOUGHT ONLY MADE MARBLE THUMBS.) SHOVELS AND HOES FOR A TAIL, ALL KINDS OF HARDWARE FOR MAINE AND BODY PARTS. LONG PHALLUS AND TESTICLES ON THE RIDER AND OH MY, THE SCHLONG AND CAJONES OF THE CABALLO. AWESOME.....SHOP, SHOP, ROSEMARIE FINALLY PURCHASES A PAIR OF HOSE, NOTHING MORE.....OOOOOOOOOOOO LLAAAAAAAAA, THE LIFE OF A COMPANION MALE SHOPPER. MORE FOOD IS BOUGHT FOR THE TRAIN AND ALONG WITH THE FRUIT AND CHEESE AND BREAD, THERE ARISES AN APEX, ACME, PEAK SIZED PATÉ ENCRUSTED IN CRUST. UUUMMMMM...........

THAT EVENING, AFTER A DAY OF NO REST, IN THE CHURCH OF SAINTE EUSTACHE, AN ORGAN CONCERT WAS HEARD BY OUR DYNAMIC DUO. A SYMPHONY OF UNKNOWN NAME, BUILDING TO A CRASHING CRESCENDO IN A SPACE OF ARCHES FRENCH GOTHIC, GLASS STAINED, NAVE HIGHLY VAULTED AND BUTTRESSES FLYING. I KEPT THINKING OF MY DAD AND HOW MUCH HE ENJOYS ORGAN CLASSIQUE AND HOW MUCH HE WOULD HAVE ENJOYED BEING THERE.....WE CERTAINLY DID. AFTER THE CONCERT WE STAYED TO HEAR THE MASS ACCOMPANIED BY THE ORGAN SAME. IT BROUGHT BACK NO MEMORIES NOSTALGIC, FROM YOUTH SPENT CATHOLIC. OTHER THAN BEING IN CONSTANT SUSPENSE FOR THE APPEARANCE OF QUASIMOTO, EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS NOT NOTRE DAME AND THE GRANDE ORGAN WELL PLAYED, THE SERVICE WAS BORING AND DID REMIND ME OF WHY I LEFT THE CHURCH.....LATER WE LEFT THIS CHURCH.

NOV 4 ON THE TRAIN, THE T.V.G., WE WERE GLAD OF OUR CHEESES, FRUITS AND PATES AND WERE AMAZED THAT 230f WAS CHARGED FOR HIGH CLASS AIRLINE FOOD, ABOUT $40 U.S. AND ZIPPED TO MARSEILLES, ANTIBES AND NICE ON THIS DAY IN NOVEMBER LEAVING PARIS.

AN ASIDE.....AN ABACK....AN WHATEVER.....I HEARD IT SAID THAT " ALL THE ART IN THE MUSEUMS IS THE SAME, BUT THEY HAVE THE BEST BATHROOMS." NOT SO SURE I AGREE WITH THIS BIT OF CYNICISM ABOUT THE ART BUT THE ASSESSMENT OF THE LOUS IS CORRECT.

ALSO, ON FRENCH MANNERS: