This day was forecast to be rainy all day, so the plan was to make good use of umbrellas in a meandering, low key sort of amble around the city. We did intend to visit a museum or two if it worked out.  After a leisurely breakfast at the café we set our sights on the Musee d’Orsay. The draw of the museum was as much for the building as the art it houses. It is a converted train station and highly recommended for the architecture. At this point, mid-morning, the rain was quite heavy and our reasoning was that there would not be that many people in line. Apparently several hundred others had developed the same flawed reasoning, and we were greeted on our arrival by a vast sea of umbrellas. While walking in the rain doesn’t bother us, the thoughts of standing in line for an hour or two created an immediate shift in direction. Fortunately, one is never far from a café in Paris and we settled in to our second one of the day to regroup and decide a direction. There is a cultural difference in being at a café in Paris, as opposed to the states. The wait person takes your order, delivers your food and drink, and then totally ignores you (this is a good thing). There was never any pressure to finish up, hurry, or move along. There were almost always additional seats, so you never felt you were inconveniencing someone else looking for a spot. Even when we tended to dawdle over a small plate, enjoy the spectacular people watching, or have a planning session for whatever might be ahead, we generally still left people at the café tables that had been there when we arrived. This particular time we decided to head further in from the right bank of the Seine and search for more streets and alley ways. It would be easy to see more of the major sights than we have if we utilized the metro, but exploring on foot suits our need to feel a total immersion in the city, and experience the life as well as the sights. After wandering from shop to shop in arrondissement two, we finally found another recommended delight called Gallery Vivienne. It is an elegant indoor shopping area. The interior is much like a palace with intricate mosaic floors, vaulted glass ceilings, and beautiful chandeliers. Ah, but of course it also has a beautiful café in the foyer. Must surely be time for lunch, and a beverage? Just want to add here; there is no such thing as bad bread in Paris. It is all delightful.

By now, a bit damp and sore of foot, we decided to head back to the hotel, but it seemed prudent to check the line at the Louvre museum on the way. Although there were mobs of people around, the line was short and we quickly entered beneath the great glass pyramid to one of the world’s most renowned collections of millions of things. Also, I must say, into one of the most confusing places I have ever been. Once you get your bearings, it becomes apparent there is this mass movement of the throngs like a magnetic pull toward the Mona Lisa painting. Tempting as that may be, we chose to spend our limited time heading towards different interests. Our chosen path took us through the Egyptian antiquities and the Greco Roman statues to the lady we preferred above the Mona Lisa. What a thrill to see the statue of Aphrodite of Milos, or as most of us have known it Venus de Milo. Truly as beautiful as all the stories have led us to believe!

Returned to the hotel to dry and rest. Then a late dinner at a café. Seems we have fallen into a pattern here. Breakfast, snacks, lunch around three or four, dinner at eight or nine. Another habit to break on returning home.