Tiptoe through the Tulips to an "Orange" musuem!

Wow, now that's a title to a blog to cure anyone curiousity!

In my humble opinion (IMHO), I think to visit Paris, its not a bad idea to have some sort of itineary. Much to my family's dismay, I had one for everyday. With my Rick Steve's Paris 2011 and lots of research, I made note of what musuems were closed what day, what time they were open and most importantly, what was the best "route" to take. Which brings up to day one:

* Concord

* Musee de l'Orangerie

* Tuilerie Gardens

* Louvre

...and because I underestimated my family:

* Rodin Musuem

* Napoleon's Tomb

Metro: Concorde

Once you have exited the metro, the only advice I can provide is to look for the Obelisk of Luxor. (pictured) From here, admire the statues, the fountains and of yeah, the great view of the Eiffel Tower! Be careful you pay attention to traffic when crossing the busy streets. You will see the entrance to the gardens, but first, drop in to the Musee de l'Orangerie to admire some Monets before you get started. (Its the building to the right of the garden entrance)

Musee de l'Orangerie

• Closed Tuesdays




• Open from 9 am to 6 pm




• Free admission with Musuem pass

• Full rate: 7, 50 euros; 5 euros for reduced rate


• Free entry first Sunday of every month


• Audio guides (in every language) are 5 euros


• http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/


• Be prepared to go through security, ladies keep your purses open for a quick examination.

This musuem was a great start. Huge, cirucular rooms with long, Monet's "Waterlillies" are first to greet you. Photography is allowed, so snapping your picture in front of one of the most famous art pieces in the world is a definate! Take your time, have a seat and let it all sink in that you are looking at a Monet. When you are ready, head downstairs to see some Renoirs and Picasso. In my photo album, I took several pictures of the Monets, Picassos and Renoirs, along with a painter who was doing her own "version" of waterlillies. I didn't see what she saw, ugt hey, each its own. ;) Don't forget to stop at the gift shop on your way out. They have some amazing prints for sale! I opted for a couple of postcards for a euro a piece. They are going to look great in a frame on my wall. (I like cheap art. Sue me.)

Tuileries Gardens

Once you are ready, head outside. We went to the right, so we could have a view of the Seine river. Take a nice, long lesiurely stroll through the Tuileries Gardens. I can't express enough how this is a definate "do not miss" in Paris! Here, you can admire everything from the flowers, to the Parisians enjoying a sunny day. Its definately a great place to people watch, plus its free to roam. This was one of my family's favorite places in Paris. It was just so nice to sit and relax. It was a picture perfect spring day in Paris, we sat at the outdoor cafe for over an hour (picture above). We got a cheese platter, creme brulee, a chocolate crepe and three cokes. Our bill was a little over 40 euros! 15 of that was just for the drinks. Consider yourself warned. We kind of regretted not bringing a pinic lunch, the gardens would have been a perfect place to do just that. Just do yourself a favor..take your time and soak in the scenery!

Straight through the gardens is the Louvre. This is a great way to approach it, you can take in its beauty from each step you take toward it. The closer you get to the Louvre, the closer you will be to getting suck into the street merchants. They walk around with rings of Eiffel Towers, postcards, watches, hats, sunglasses and more. Skip them. They may seem friendly (which I'm sure they are), but in my opinion, they were trained since birth to lure the tourists in. YOU CAN FIND THE SOUVENIRS CHEAPER ELSEWHERE. I promise. Just move on. There usually are several of them, all selling the same thing. I think they work for the merchants throughout town, raising up the prices just enough to suck in the tourists. Again, bypass them. A simple, "Non" or a dismissal wave of your end will do. There are usually a couple of guys standing around with a bucket of bottled water for a euro (note: they probably bought it at the supermarche for half the price). Get used to this, any touristy stop you visit, they will be there. Also beware of the young children asking you to sign some sort of petition. THEY ARE NOT REALLY DEAF/MUTE. In fact, watch them long enough you will see them talking to each other. Also, keep your purses close and your wallets out of your back pockets.

The Louvre is its own blog, which I will finish once I get the pictures uploaded. To see my pictures from the Musee de l'Orangerie and the Tuileries Gardens, please visit my photosite listed above.

Au revoir!

~Heather~