Paris, day 4: Middle Ages, High-end Goods
With our Museum Passes in hand, it was another day spent (partly) in a museum. This time, it was the Musee de Cluny, France's National Museum of the Middle Ages. The museum, built in the former town house of the abbot of Cluny going back to the 14th century, is larger inside than it initially appeared to me, housing relics of the period from late Roman to the late Middle Ages. In fact, one entire room is the remnants of an ancient Roman bath, which is pretty cool (reminded me of the baths I saw when I was in Israel--those Romans knew about inventive plumbing!). We strolled excellent exhibits on arms and armor, daily life, church reliquaries and accoutrements and, of course, spent some time with the mysterious and beautiful "The Lady and the Unicorn" tapestries.
The museum is particularly known for its tapestries. I learned about the life of at least one saint by viewing the two full rooms of tapestries just chronicling his life and influence. "The Lady and the Unicorn" set of 6 themed tapestries is the heart of the museum's collection. Apparently it was part of a much larger series, though these are all that have survived. They still tell their story. Being able to get up so close to them, I was able to see how tiny the stitching and embroidery is, of which I'd previously been unaware and which astounded me. I was also able to see the details of the expressions on each face, the elaborate details of the lady's dress, the lion's face (which may have been the most expressive from tapestry to tapestry of them all), all of it. I was particularly taken with the "Sight"-themed tapestry (five of the pieces are themed by taste, sound, sight, smell and touch, the last to spirit), with the unicorn perched in the lady's lap, gazing at its own reflection in a mirror. Of the five sense tapestries, it has the weirdest, most sinister, and most deceptive imagery, requiring a certain amount of focus and analysis, though all of them require study to get their full meaning and impact--and even then, because we know so little about their origins and the intentions of the full set, they're still mysterious.
Lunch was at a place called Brasserie Balzar, mostly because it was there and we were tired and very hungry. When we walked in, it was clear that it was the sort of place where businessmen go for lunch; I was put in mind of the kind of places I used to eat lunch in NYC, tables crammed together cheek by jowl, men in business suits hunched over their tiny cafe tables. I knew it was going to cost more than I wanted it to, and I suspected that it would be tough to order food. I was so tired and hungry that I was definitely hypoglycemic. Rather than being able to focus on making a meaningful choice, I just pointed at the cheapest thing on the menu--andouille. I had no idea what it was but, in the spirit of culinary adventure that one must espouse when one travels, I dove in, hoping for the best. I ended up with the largest sausage I've ever seen, with the strangest flavor I've ever tasted. As I said to Elizabeth, I didn't really enjoy it, but what I needed was nourishment, and that's what it provided. I've come to think of it as the "unexpected sausage." It was the only meal I haven't thoroughly enjoyed in our time here so far.
Elizabeth was bound and determined to buy yarn while we were in Paris, and I wanted to try to find some beads, so we went--of all places--to the Bon Marche, one of the big department stores. On our way, we detoured through the Luxembourg Gardens, which were just beautiful. I'll have more to say about them when I finally get around to posting pictures. But back to department stores: Apparently department stores are where one goes to get crafting materials. It was definitely an experience in cultural difference. The Bon in Paris is unlike what we in the states think of as a department store, unlike even what the Bon was like in Seattle until Macy's took it over. Yes, it has departments, but they are as much about display as about actual shopping. You don't see clothes jammed together on their racks the way you do at Nordstrom or Macy's; they are displayed loosely so as to be seen, and some are displayed in particular racks that show off individual collections. The word "luxury" doesn't begin to describe the atmosphere and presentation of this place. The walls breathe high-end appeal. Everything was outrageously overpriced. We were both rather astonished. Scarves ranged from 200-400 Euros! And we found the organization of the store a little baffling. Still, we found what we were looking for, a department called "Drogueries." Elizabeth found her yarn and I some beads (also overpriced, but I was willing to pay because they were unlike any I'd seen elsewhere). And then we got out because we were tired and hungry.
Somewhere in here--I've lost track of the chronology--we stopped at a boutique looking for a jacket for E who was feeling the chill in the air a little more than she preferred. We found her a black-and-white jacket, nicely tailored, that will look stellar with all the black she's brought on the trip, not to mention with her work clothes at home. It was reasonably priced--and I think this is where France differs from the US: the department stores are where you pay premiums for clothes; the boutiques are where you find more reasonable prices. At least, that's been our experience.
We met mistymarshall, who came in from Germany to join us for a day, for dinner. We strolled over to Le Navigator, a restaurant just down the block from our apartment that got great reviews on Yelp. While we talked about Misty's work and caught up with each other in general, we had an excellent meal; I'd recommend this place to anyone going to Paris. I had the Pave Bearnaise avec Frites (steak bearnaise with fries). Dessert for me was creme caramel. Wine with dinner was a terrific beaujolais; the dessert wine was Sancerre, which was delicious. Elizabeth had a dessert called Ils Flottant, which Misty described as characteristically French, a sort of meringue island topped with almonds floating in a cream sauce. (Turns out I knew this dessert by another name, Floating Island, because it's mentioned in an old Hepburn/Tracy movie called "Desk Set.") Everything was delicious. We closed the place, then went back to our apartment for a little more drinking (wow, the drinking!). And then hit the sack.
Pre-bedtime chocolate: dark chocolate-covered chocolate cream with nutty bits
Steps for the day: 11,492
The museum is particularly known for its tapestries. I learned about the life of at least one saint by viewing the two full rooms of tapestries just chronicling his life and influence. "The Lady and the Unicorn" set of 6 themed tapestries is the heart of the museum's collection. Apparently it was part of a much larger series, though these are all that have survived. They still tell their story. Being able to get up so close to them, I was able to see how tiny the stitching and embroidery is, of which I'd previously been unaware and which astounded me. I was also able to see the details of the expressions on each face, the elaborate details of the lady's dress, the lion's face (which may have been the most expressive from tapestry to tapestry of them all), all of it. I was particularly taken with the "Sight"-themed tapestry (five of the pieces are themed by taste, sound, sight, smell and touch, the last to spirit), with the unicorn perched in the lady's lap, gazing at its own reflection in a mirror. Of the five sense tapestries, it has the weirdest, most sinister, and most deceptive imagery, requiring a certain amount of focus and analysis, though all of them require study to get their full meaning and impact--and even then, because we know so little about their origins and the intentions of the full set, they're still mysterious.
Lunch was at a place called Brasserie Balzar, mostly because it was there and we were tired and very hungry. When we walked in, it was clear that it was the sort of place where businessmen go for lunch; I was put in mind of the kind of places I used to eat lunch in NYC, tables crammed together cheek by jowl, men in business suits hunched over their tiny cafe tables. I knew it was going to cost more than I wanted it to, and I suspected that it would be tough to order food. I was so tired and hungry that I was definitely hypoglycemic. Rather than being able to focus on making a meaningful choice, I just pointed at the cheapest thing on the menu--andouille. I had no idea what it was but, in the spirit of culinary adventure that one must espouse when one travels, I dove in, hoping for the best. I ended up with the largest sausage I've ever seen, with the strangest flavor I've ever tasted. As I said to Elizabeth, I didn't really enjoy it, but what I needed was nourishment, and that's what it provided. I've come to think of it as the "unexpected sausage." It was the only meal I haven't thoroughly enjoyed in our time here so far.
Elizabeth was bound and determined to buy yarn while we were in Paris, and I wanted to try to find some beads, so we went--of all places--to the Bon Marche, one of the big department stores. On our way, we detoured through the Luxembourg Gardens, which were just beautiful. I'll have more to say about them when I finally get around to posting pictures. But back to department stores: Apparently department stores are where one goes to get crafting materials. It was definitely an experience in cultural difference. The Bon in Paris is unlike what we in the states think of as a department store, unlike even what the Bon was like in Seattle until Macy's took it over. Yes, it has departments, but they are as much about display as about actual shopping. You don't see clothes jammed together on their racks the way you do at Nordstrom or Macy's; they are displayed loosely so as to be seen, and some are displayed in particular racks that show off individual collections. The word "luxury" doesn't begin to describe the atmosphere and presentation of this place. The walls breathe high-end appeal. Everything was outrageously overpriced. We were both rather astonished. Scarves ranged from 200-400 Euros! And we found the organization of the store a little baffling. Still, we found what we were looking for, a department called "Drogueries." Elizabeth found her yarn and I some beads (also overpriced, but I was willing to pay because they were unlike any I'd seen elsewhere). And then we got out because we were tired and hungry.
Somewhere in here--I've lost track of the chronology--we stopped at a boutique looking for a jacket for E who was feeling the chill in the air a little more than she preferred. We found her a black-and-white jacket, nicely tailored, that will look stellar with all the black she's brought on the trip, not to mention with her work clothes at home. It was reasonably priced--and I think this is where France differs from the US: the department stores are where you pay premiums for clothes; the boutiques are where you find more reasonable prices. At least, that's been our experience.
We met mistymarshall, who came in from Germany to join us for a day, for dinner. We strolled over to Le Navigator, a restaurant just down the block from our apartment that got great reviews on Yelp. While we talked about Misty's work and caught up with each other in general, we had an excellent meal; I'd recommend this place to anyone going to Paris. I had the Pave Bearnaise avec Frites (steak bearnaise with fries). Dessert for me was creme caramel. Wine with dinner was a terrific beaujolais; the dessert wine was Sancerre, which was delicious. Elizabeth had a dessert called Ils Flottant, which Misty described as characteristically French, a sort of meringue island topped with almonds floating in a cream sauce. (Turns out I knew this dessert by another name, Floating Island, because it's mentioned in an old Hepburn/Tracy movie called "Desk Set.") Everything was delicious. We closed the place, then went back to our apartment for a little more drinking (wow, the drinking!). And then hit the sack.
Pre-bedtime chocolate: dark chocolate-covered chocolate cream with nutty bits
Steps for the day: 11,492