The weather was calling for some light showers mid-day so we decided to hit a few museums and churches, and do some shopping. We started the morning at St. Chappelle or what we thought was the line for it. After waiting a few minutes in a very long line and looking like the only tourists there, I headed to the front to see what was going on. It turns out we were not in line for St. Chappelle but for the Police Station. The nice officer I asked chuckled when I asked him where the correct line was and pointed to a door about 100 feet away that said, ST. CHAPPELLE. We quickly slunk away and got in the correct line. We had heard the ticket "greeters" at the church could be less than friendly and the reviews were spot on. The gentlemen who was directing the line traffic never smiled and was more interested in checking his phone than answering questions. As the line started to become chaos - not because it was long but because he put the barricades up incorrectly- he began to chastise us and others - we decided to keep our mouths shut and stare at our feet.
We entered into the church hall and were very underwhelmed. It was small, dark, and looked more like a gift shop. There were some amazing relics but not the "awe" I was expecting.
As we were getting ready to leave, we noticed a small entryway on the right, so we decided to explore. Turns out it was the spiral staircase to the real church, just not marked very well.
We trudged up more stairs, feeling our calves burn with every step, and then we entered the main hall. The pain was worth it. Stained glass from floor to ceiling and a room that took our breath away.
We spent some time admiring St. Chappelle and then decided to go look at the locks-of-love on the bridge nearby, the same one we saw the last time we were here. Turns out they removed them all so it was a quick visit.
At this point, we were already tired and hungry and made the call to reload our calories with some sugary treats. At first we thought a cold smoothie would be good but then noticed the small creatures helping themselves to a sample and decided better. Just to let you know, bees are on my hated/feared list and the thought of one hiding in my food and then stinging my tongue while I eat it sounded horrible.
Crepes instead filled with Nutella!
Ready to walk and shop, we hit the Marias District to find Rebecca her belated birthday gift, a new purse. After going to a several shops, she found a few she liked. Of course for the one she really loved, exclaiming, "The leather feels like butter" was about the price of a new car, so she (thank goodness for our VISA bill) passed on it, and returned to the first purse that caught her eye which was closer in cost to dinner at Canlis. It was so overwhelming that I decided to make the call to get some food and beer. We stopped at a micro-pub and met the nice bartender from CA that had relocated here because she loves Paris so much. BTW, yes, that is BEER you see in Rebecca's hand (she hates beer) but this one was a "sour" and she actually finished the glass...
As we were refueling, the clouds decided to open up and say hello. A massive rain storm passed over us. Luckily we were in the pub, since enough water dumped to cause a mini flood. What should we do? I decided to reenact Singing in the Rain, much to Rebecca's embarrassment.
Since the rain was not going to stop for about 30 minutes, we walked down the street to the Picasso Museum. Neither one of us are huge Picasso fans but it was inside and dry so we checked it out.
It was better than we imagined and spent some time strolling through the museum and appreciating how his style changed over the years. The one piece of art I did mock was this one. I renamed it "The March of the Ewoks" and had a great time laughing out loud until the docent came over and politely told me to shut it.
With art in our blood now, we moved on to the Modern Art Museum, which looks like a large hamster habitat from the outside.
After looking at some "fine" pieces of modern art, Rebecca commented, "Modern art makes me feel stupid. I just don't get it." I had been walking around nodding and tilting my head to look interested and educated, but I confessed I agreed. For example, this was art:
Many of these items I have or had at one time in my life. In fact, I am still mourning the exact same beer hat as above that Rebecca threw out a few years ago saying I was too old for a beer hat. Little did she know it was priceless (and very useful).
Modern art test, one of the items below was created by my nine year old. Can you guess which one?
Trick question! They were all priceless pieces of modern art.
Our faces below show how we felt about it, especially this piece - Levelor Blinds in Black and White (that is not the official name but the one I thought fit it better).
The highlight of the museum was the outside desk with amazing views. We spent some time there and appreciated the scenery before getting some dinner.
What I learned today: We all experience things in our own ways and some people appreciate things that I may not. I am sure the art I am drawn towards others may not like - that is totally ok.
What I appreciated about today: Rebecca and I laughing together about some of the Modern Art. We realized we both have a dark sense of humor and it was nice for it to resurface and bring us to tears of laughter.
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