This morning I booked two art museum tickets for myself. The first one was for today at Le Centre Pompidou – to see some of their collection d’art moderne et contemporain d’Europe.

So yes, Modern and Contemporary Art of Europe, except that there was an exposition (not exhibition because en français, that means a whole other thing) on American artist, Alice Neel. The show is only there for a few more weeks, and it was booked solid!

I was not familiar with the work of Neel, but was happy to learn about her. And, wow! her compositions blew me away! I watched a few tapes/videos of her at the museum, one of which included painting a pregnant nude model – and the finished painting was next to this display. That was wonderful to see! She was a lefty, and I loved watching her exquisitely deft hand put those lines down. She knew exactly where she was starting and where she was going. What a treat to watch such a lengthy demonstration! Another video gave a brief history of her studies, so I learned that she studied at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA), so she was somewhat of a local to me. The third video was that of a charming interview she’d had with Johnny Carson on his show. You could see he really enjoyed her wit and banter, and appreciated her art.

Other works… by Picasso, Delaunay, Mondrian, Rothko, and Kelly

I can’t leave out Kandinsky and Matisse

All this art was overwhelming, and I felt famished! I went to a nearby bistro for a café allongé, une salade, et une carafe d’eau. Then, I walked in the rain to the Métro and headed home to Saint-Sulpice.

Now home, I’m enjoying a small demi-glass of red wine, and I may binge-watch the rest of Season Two’s White Lotus. No spoilers here, but there is definitely a theme this season.

Tomorrow, I’m off to Musée d’Orsay to see an exposition on Edward Munch (Norwegian painter) entitled: A Poem of Life, Love, and Death. I read that for artist Munch, “…certain motifs recur regularly: humanity and nature are united in the cycle of life, death, and rebirth… fundamentally coherent, even obsessive, and at the same time constantly renewed.” That quote is from the Musee d’Orsay site. Again, this show is limited, ends soon, and is quite popular. The theme rebirth keeps finding me, as it is the theme of my blog: My Renaissance.

I’m so impressed by the number of young people at these art museums. It’s all so normalized here — and I believe they’re free for students. It’s refreshing to see art valued and enjoyed. I’m not going to say young people are not on cellphones, but they’re not on cellphones at the museums!

Also, I forgot how windy and rainy winters are here. There is no use for an umbrella, just make sure you have a hood. Or not, and let the dampness condition your skin. The rain is misty more than a downpour, and never seems to last very long.

Reminds me… My shower here is a wee big bigger than the phone booth style I had last year. Not by much, but I can actually bend over if I drop something, rather than go into a deep squat. They love their towel warmer racks here, too, and so do I. What a treat! My apartment is very comfortable – petite, but plenty of room for me – with a small kitchenette, eating area, bathroom, and bedroom/living space. There’s also a clothes washing machine in the kitchen, which is normal here, and nice-sized closet with shelves. I haven’t been able to watch French TV or News yet as I can’t figure out their 1980’s style system. I thought I’d like to listen to some French shows to get my ear adjusted. Stay tuned., (Pun intended!)

À tout à l’heure!