Le Havre Monday 9 May 

Bassin du Commerce dock Le Havre

Geoffrey and I are still having a wonderful stay in Paris. We are now doing a few day trips and enjoying the French countryside. In March, on the internet, we bought a 7 day Eurail Select Pass for 3 Countries. We used one day to go to Le Havre.  Le Havre is on the coast in Upper Normandy, a 2 hour, 205 kilometre train trip out of Paris (not the fast train).

Geoffrey had bought a book The Belly of Paris by Émile Zola. The book is about the old Marché des Innocents, which is now Les Halles and is where our apartment is. The book cover illustration is from a painting ''The Square in Front of Les Halle", 1880, by Victor-Gabriel Gilbert. The painting is part of the collection at Musée des Beaux-Artes Andre Malraux, Le Havre.
However, when we got there, the painting, at the moment, is not on exhibition. The same happened when Robert and I visited  the Musée d'Orsay with the painting Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. It wasn't on exhibition either. Luckily, I had seen it last time we were in Paris and also when it was at the National Gallery of Victoria.
Another thing about Le Havre is that Claude Monet lived there as a child and teenager and of course painted many paintings of that area such as Fishing Boats Leaving the Harbour, Le Havre, 1874.

Musée des Beaux-Artes Andre Malraux, Le Havre Portrait de Nini Lopez 1876
Auguste Renoir






 

Bois de Boulogne  Tuesday 10 May

We are now enjoying visiting places around Paris that an extended visit allows and loving it.

We had a lovely stroll around the Bois de Boulogne which is on the western edge of Paris. This is part of what used to be a natural forest in that part of France. It is a preserved piece of forest. There's ponds, lakes, gardens, sports areas and children's playgrounds.

Monet's Garden Giverny Wednesday 11 May

Dot and Ivy from down our way, are here in Paris at the moment. We had a ladies day out to Monet's Gardens at Giverny.  This was a beautiful sunny day and the gardens were magnificent.
It was such a pleasure to see the pond area that Monet used when painting his waterlily paintings.
I have been to the Musée de l'Orangerie each time I have been in Paris, which is only twice and it remains the highlight of each trip. Being there and being able to look at  Monet's Nymphéas is just so wonderful to me and then to actually be in his garden made me very happy.

Belleville Area  Thursday 12 May Sometimes we hop on the Metro and just have a look at a particular area. Édith Piaff was born in the Belleville area. We also had a wander around the Cimitière du Père Lanchaise with its cobbled lanes and large tombs. Édith Piaff is buried there, also Chopin, Proust, Delacroix and  Modigliani, to name but a few and also Molière, the French playwright is also buried there. à bientôt