Another day of the trip is in the books! As I said in my earlier post, we got a little bit of a late start today, but we still got to see a fair amount of stuff. Sadly, the heat continued (another 90° day!), but the weather has cooled off now that it’s nearly 10p and the overall temperatures are supposed to be much better the rest of the time we’re here (mid-70s).
We stopped by a neighborhood bakery on Rue Cler when we left the apartment and shared a little quiche Lorraine and a pain au chocolat and they were both fabulous. I have no doubt that we’ll stop by there again. 🙂 From there, we hopped on the Metro to make our way to the Louvre. Travel tip – make use of the public transport in Paris, especially the Metro. Scott and I talked about whether or to use a Visite travel pass or carnets (pronounced KAR-nays) and we ultimately decided on carnets. We each bought one and that’s working out great for us so far. I highly recommend you look at the length of your stay and where you want to go and then do your research. Another possible option is the Navigo card, but that works best if you’re staying for at least a Mon-Sun period.
Anyway, where was I?? Ah yes – the Louvre! We did some research ahead of time to figure out how to best maneuver through the Louvre (it’s huge!), so that was very helpful. We saw great works of art like the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, Michelangelo’s Dying Slave, and more. You can easily get lost in the Louvre, but do your research and follow the signs around the museum and you should be fine.
From the Louvre, we walked the short distance to the d’Orsay. It’s a very doable walk, just a short way down the Seine (but the d’Orsay is on the opposite bank) and it takes you through part of the Tuileries Garden, so I suggest taking the walk as long as the weather is tolerable. This museum is far smaller and more easy to navigate than the Louvre and contains works by artists like Renoir, Van Gogh, and others. Although it’s smaller, I would still recommend researching what you want to see there to make sure you hit the highlights. Alternatively, you can rely on the map you can pick up inside the museum as it highlights a number of key works of art on each floor. Be sure to walk down the stairs from the entrance, turn around, and look up towards the ceiling – you can see the big clock left over from when the museum was a train station!
Since we were already on a roll for museums, we decided to end our day with a trip to l’Orangerie. This museum is fairly small and is totally walkable from the d’Orsay (slightly further down the Seine, on the opposite side, situated in the Tuileries Garden). It’s a fairly small museum that focuses on just two collections, which means you don’t need to do much research on this one. 🙂 If you’re going to do both, be sure to get the combo ticket at the d’Orsay that covers both museums. We used our Paris Museum Pass to get into all three of these museums for free though, so consider that in your research as well. As I’ve said previously, I don’t always go for those touristy cards, but when they offer admission to the places you want to go anyway along with the added benefit of skipping the line (at most places), they’re totally worth it.
Anyway, on to the photo recap!
Our delicious quiche Lorraine.
Near the pyramid outside the Louvre.
Panorama of the area around the Louvre (be sure to click this one to see the full version).
Just me and my girl, Mona!
A panorama of the room that houses the Mona Lisa (again, be sure to click to see the full version).
Another of my friends – Venus!
Another exterior shot of the Louvre, as seen while walking to the d’Orsay.
The exterior of the d’Orsay (no pictures allowed inside, sadly).
We were more than ready to call it a day after that, so we came home via the Metro, got our energy back, and then went to a nice little place on Rue Cler for dinner. Tomorrow, we’ll hopefully be paying a visit to Notre Dame, but nothing definite planned outside of that. Stay tuned for the next update!
That One Guy Who Travels 
I’ve heard that d’Orsay is a more enjoyable experience than the Louvre; based on the crowds at the Louvre, I would agree! 🙂 I loved the panoramic pics – it helps me get a much better sense of the space. Thank you for taking and sharing them with us! Oh, and your quiche looks HUGE. I thought it was a deep-dish egg pizza for a minute there…
It was really good! Not as big as it might look though – it was about the size of one of those microwave pizzas you can buy.
Did you get to see the Winged Victory at the top of the steps at the Louvre? I did not do a second trip through there but I DID go to d’Orsay again – My Little Dancer literally took my breath away when I came into her room – and I found out that I like Renoir better the Monet – go figure!!! ha ha I didn’t get to the l’Orangerie – was it worth the stop Jeff? I am AMAZED how much art you saw in one day!!! You must walk thru them like my eldest son and he is an Graphic Designer!!! ha ha My other MUST GO is the flea markets that are very NORTH in Paris – but that is my THING – always find the antique shops and wander there WAY to long and spend to much money!!!!
Yes, we did see the winged victory, though I don’t think I got a picture of it because it looked like they were doing some work on it (restoration, I assume). We don’t plan on going back to any museums that we’ve already been to on this trip, but maybe we will on a future trip! Since neither of us are big art buffs, it’s easy for us to go through museums pretty quickly, hitting mostly just the highlights. As for l’Orangerie, it’s a pretty small museum with a pretty limited scope, so unless you’re interested in exactly what they have, you can probably skip it.
Ah, the Musée d’Orsay — it’s my favorite museum in Paris, both for the collection and for the architecture inside and out. If only more disused train stations could be reborn like that. And I expect the Museum Pass saved you a good amount of time getting in; when I’ve been there before, the lines were just brutal.
Great you made it to l’Orangerie too. It was the first place I visited in Paris, as it was near our hotel and in the Tuileries Garden. It’s also how I learned what an “orangery” is, and I’ve been obsessed with the idea ever since. I keep threatening David with plans to rebuild our detached garage into one (and not entirely in jest).
Yes, the Museum Pass has been super helpful! And I don’t doubt one bit that you would turn your garage into an orangery. 🙂