La Défense

This weekend was spent doing a whole lotta nothing.  Which, I am okay with!  After a really good week with Marie-Césare, Ashleigh and I went into the weekend with not very many plans.  We went to see 2 exhibitions going on at Hôtel de Ville.  One on the history of the French Revolution in Paris and its effect on the city via paintings/photos/art.  The other was an exhibition of impressionism.  Since they are doing renovations on the Musée d'Orsay they took all the important works by Monet, Renoir, etc. that wouldn't fit on the walls to this exhibition.  They do tend to rotate many paintings in the city from museum to museum. So much so, that I have seen Monet's "Gare Saint-Lazare" painting in 3 different museums now.  

After a crêpe, some ridiculous crowd fighting, and laziness, we ended up at Tuileries.  The weather was so strange, it was sunny yet drizzling, so under the canopy of trees at Tuileries we sat and enjoyed a macaron framboise.  Lovely.  

I stopped in H&M on the way home, only to find a few things I don't really need (as usual).  Sunday started off at church, then Ashleigh suggested we pop up to Montmartre for a crêpe.  "Sure" I said, not really thinking about that decision.  As soon as we stepped of the metro I knew we probably would regret it.  Montmartre was COVERED OVER in millions of people.  It is normally a popular spot on a sunny day, but boy, did we forget its beginning to be tourist season!  Bleh.  Tourists.  

We waited in line for our favorite crêpe man in all of Paris, jammed our way through the crowd to the steps of the Sacré-Coeur and found a tiny spot near the trash cans to enjoy what was left of our crêpes.  No wonder people think this city is dirty when they come during the summer.  Tourists are dirty!!! They just throw trash everywhere whenever they want!  At one point during our crowd fighting I turned to Ashleigh and said, "Okay, time to be French....elbows out!" and we just shoved our way through.  Now I know why they're so good at it!  The crêpe was worth it, and a little bit of sun...but we decided to go somewhere a little less crowded and chose Parc des Buttes Chaumont.  

These are what I'm told are "Black Hero" tulips.  I had never seen them before.  

After class on Monday, Chloé called and said she was picking up Marie-Césare and taking her to the doctor to have some bloodwork/x-rays.  She has been perpetually sick, not to the point where she can't go to school, but always coughing and has a runny nose.  I feel pretty sure she is tired of being sick, so Chloé took care of that.  They don't think its anything serious, but better safe than sorry!  I had today and tomorrow off anyway, because Didou is spending the week in Paris.  Chloé is somewhere in Russia, and Franck has to work late every night and will be in Belgium Thursday and Friday night.  So, hopefully between the two of us we can pass the kids back and forth enough!  I will pick her up from school Thursday and Friday, but Didou will stay the night.  

Ashleigh skipped school today and we went out to La Défense.  We have been wanting to go, but never on a weekend because it is apparently dead with no business people there.  Which, after today, I can see why that's true. Line 1 on the métro takes you straight out at the arch, which is quite convenient for those who commute in.  La Défense is the largest purpose-built business district in Europe.  It is the farthest point on Paris' historical axis, which starts at the Louvre, continues along the Champs Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe, and finishes with the Grande Arche here.  Around 180,000 workers commute in to this area daily.  That's a lot of people.  Built mostly throughout the 60's and 70's, the 72 highrises reflect this style throughout the Esplanade.  

Looking at the Arc de Triomphe in the distance.  

The Grande Arche.  The last arch on the historical axis of Paris.  

There are strange, "modern" sculptures and feats of architecture throughout the Esplanade leading up to the Grande Arche.  Including this gargantuan thumb.  Pretty weird huh?  Fairly good example of Parisien humor.  

You can go up the arch, by elevator of course.  I'm not sure the reason, but it was closed today.  Unfortunately we didn't get yet another "best view in Paris." Thinking it would take at least a few hours to cross this off our list, we looked at our watches to find only an hour had passed.  We went back to Ashleigh's for a little while until she had to go pick up her girls.  I stopped by the Lachaize household to pick up my check (which I hate to admit that I never really earn...) and Didou was already there.  She quickly handed me a small package which of course, were a couple of things she had brought back for me from Morocco.  We chatted for awhile about my vacation and hers, and about Marie-Césare and Gaspard, and how Franck and Chloé work too much, and how she is worried....you know, the usual grandmotherly things to worry about.  She is always so sweet and thoughtful, and really wants us to come to Provence while they are there the end of May.  I have planned to go to Disneyland Paris the weekend before my birthday to celebrate so I hope she's not thinking the same weekend!  (Yes, of course...what 23 year old doesn't want to spend their birthday at Disney???!)  Hopefully Kerry is taking the train up, Charlotte will come, and maybe a few other girls we can recruit.  Excited to spend my birthday with Cendrillon and Blanche Neige.  And yes....I will be wearing a pink pointy princess hat with tulle and ribbons!!!