straighten up

Tuesday was amazing and so great.  Our first stop as a group was the Musee Rodin where we saw much of Rodin’s work, some of which I fell in love with.  Three pieces in particular stood out to me, Paolo e Francesca (of course), “Hand of God” and “Last Sight.”  You can find any of these online and each one stood out to me for various reasons.  The first is most easily explained. Last semester I studied Dante and read his Divina commedia in the original which, although a trial, was a great experience and gave me an appreciation for each of the different parts. This particular couple arises time and again and the story of their love is legendary. 

            I left with some friends and we headed towards the Musee d’Orsay but ended up near the Orangerie which was not open, unfortunately.  Two friends and I went down to the Louvre and took some pictures before rejoining our friends.  We stopped to take a break and we ended up dozing in the sunshine in some chairs next to a fountain in the Tuileries Gardens while listening to Edith Piaf.  It was perfect.  We eventually made it to the museum (after stopping on the bridge where I bought a painting) and I had another moment of awe.  The Orsay is known for its impressionist paintings and when I walked into that room I was hit with an overwhelming sense of wonder and of understanding.  The only thing to explain it is that after studying them in class, and having then been to Paris and seen the city in person, their work seemed to make more sense.  Either way, I hope I never forget those feelings when I first stepped into that room. 

We decided we wanted to see the arc du triomph so we walked down the Champs-Elysees as it started drizzling.  By the time we reached it, the rain was pouring down and there was some sort of parade about to happen.  To get out of the rain we decided to stop in Laduree for macarons and I tried three different kinds; chocolate coconut, salted caramel and pistachio.  They were all quite tasty though the first two were a bit chewier than I was expecting but the flavors of all three were great.  I had a bite of a Brazilian chocolate one from a friend and it was also delicious.  From there we headed home and I decided to straighten my hair.  Luckily my roommates offered to help so I let them pretty much take over.  They got it done in about half an hour and I had perfectly straight hair for the next day. 

macarons!