I’m listening to the rain outside my open window in my hotel room in Paris. This is the most it’s rained since I got here – it’s been going for 10 or 15 minutes. All days have been sunny and warm, even though it’s the end of October. On my walk through Paris yesterday I had to take off my jacket (I wore my rain jacket both because there was a small threat of rain in the forecast, and as a talisman against that rain. My supernatural powers won: there was no rain). It’s hot at lunchtime. Even in the evening it’s not cool enough for a scarf. I came prepared for what I thought would be autumn in Paris! Boots and a pretty new raincoat! Two scarves? I’ve had only the meagrest of excuses to wear my new rain coat; I haven’t used my umbrella; and I’ve only made use of one of my shawls as a napping blankie. Even now it’s raining but not cold enough for me to close my window. I’d sleep with it open if it wasn’t for the apprehension of hearing something strange in the night.

Today I visited la Musée de l’Orangerie. I know I should have gone to d’Orsay as well, but their closed on Monday and I didn’t feel like going yesterday. Also, I know the l’Orangerie is where Monet’s Puddlelilies Waterlilies are kept so I felt an urge to go there.

I’m a big fan of the impressionists. I know this because each year when I go to choose a new calendar, I only ever want impressionists. I like all the stuff they’re known for: use of colour and light, changing the whole tradition of painting, etc. I especially like being able to see their brush strokes and how they created the impressions they present to us right there on the canvas. The Waterlilies are set up so that I could take a good, close-up look at all that, and then step back take i the whole panorama of each piece (there’s a bunch of them). Globs of paint are the best. Getting real close to see that the lilies are just smudges of paint. I like it. Yes, admittedly, when you look reeeal close at those pristine renaissance paintings, you can see that, too (if you’re allowed that close)… and it’s all magic…. But Monet and impressionists please my heart and soul as well as my eye. And probably less so my brain! I don’t know. It’s art and this is my favourite. (D’Orsay next time for sure, and Louvre again, too, even though it doesn’t even get to the impressionists. There’s other interesting stuff there I haven’t see yet.)

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Now I’m packing because I’m travelling to London tomorrow. There is a lot that isn’t open on Mondays here so I took full advantage of not doing very much. I hung out the Jardins de Tuileries a bit after l’Orangerie and found another old church (Saint-Eustache) to look at. I retreated back to my hotel kind of early this afternoon because I have a bit of a headache and my feet are sore = naps.