Big city on jet lag

Let's see how my addled brain does with blogging this evening. Food shopping was a trial - I just stood and stared with nary a thought.

Today we got a few fundamentals accomplished. The bikes are assembled and ready to go, thanks to Dave’s tireless efforts. We found fuel for our stove. And we saw some art and gothic architecture. 

We braved rushhour on the tram and metro this morning to get to our timed entry at the Musee D'Orsay. It was nuts. Hot, claustrophobic, humid, and crammed with humanity. Especially in light of yesterday’s explosion in Paris, it was a little unnerving!

The impressionist art and sculptures were a breath of fresh air. Everyone found something that spoke to them. I loved this Caillebotte painting of sunflowers:

There was also an entire room devoted to cat art, like this sketch:

Sculptures that astounded us with their grace and drama:

After the Musee we had lunch at a random spot just to get out of the rain. The meal left something to be desired, but we were dry and cozy. And I never have to eat a giant mushroom omelette ever again!

We made it on time to our timed entry at Sainte-Chappelle. Photos don’t do justice.

The kitty at the tram station was a highlight on the way home. 

 

I’m sure it’s partly the jet lag, but so far the kids are pretty unimpressed with Paris. They find the crowds, lines, traffic, and constant blaring sirens grating. I forget that they haven’t experienced a lot of big cities before. We'll be back in Paris for another day of sightseeing in mid-July. Our plan is to do an obligatory visit to the Louvre and then decompress in the botanical gardens. 

Tomorrow we ride 32 miles on the Paris to Mont Saint-Michel bike route. Everyone is excited to start pedaling. I hope navigating Paris by bike isn’t too stressful. It’s supposed to be amazingly bike-friendly, but there are all those sirens to contend with…

But first, sleep! Woot! 

Liv