Day 5: Bizarre Art and Bikes

My plans for Sunday started out just like any other Sunday at home, with a mass.
The difference this time was that mass was at the beautuful gothic St. Eustache and included the organs being played and a small choir singing. I got up in time for the morning mass and headed over via Metro, before walking through Les Halles to the church. When I approached it, I could already hear the choir starting the processional so I ducked inside.

The set up for mass is not like the churches back home, instead of pews there are individual seats set up without the kneelers. I kept staring up at the vaulted ceilings and admiring the acoustics. The choir could not have had more than a dozen people, yet there voices filled the church without the use of microphones. Since mass was in French I did not understand much of it, but the choir was moving and the when the organ started playing...it was intense. It seemed that a rumble had started, much like the rumble before a big storm, but instead of raindrops, the church was filled with music. It is truly an amazing experience and I encourage everyone to sit down at any gothic church and listen to such a concert.

Even though Eustache and Notre Dame are both Gothic churches, there were severak differences. When viewing Notre Dame, you can almost imagine the hunchback swinging from the towers. The gargoyles seem right in place. At Eustache, you are more likely to see cherubs than any gloomy being. The light that filters into the church is clear and fills the entire church expelling all gloom and darkness. The stone also seems lighter, even though the vaulting is equally impressive. After the mass, I stayed a little to listen to the organ finish it's concert, letting the waves of sound wash over me.

Once mass and the concert were over, I went outside and noticed a little market had been set up. The vendors sold all manners of fish, fruits, and flowers, all colorfully displayed. After browsing I went to the cafe next door and enjoyed a cafe creme while verifing my further plans. While sitting there, I saw a young man dressed in a winter coat (the type with a fur trim) walking down the street. It was clear that he was imitating an American gangster, but in Paris it was entirely out of place!

After my coffee I walked over to the Musee Picasso only stopping once to sit down in a little park. The park was shaded and filled with people enjoying books and papers. The actual museum had no line and I got in right away. Right away I noticed the architecture and the ceilings of the building. ( I think I am starting to be a little obsessed with the different ceiling types and designs!) As for the actual artwork....well...it's Picasso!
I liked the geometry and lines of some of his work, but other things were not comprehendable! The artwork that was more realistic seemed a bit empty, and lacked life that some other painters infused into their work. It was almost like he painted them to prove he could, but refocused on his true passion.

he statues were fun, but not really my cup of tea. The goat and the monkey were my favorites, though there weren't that many. I liked the way the museum was organized, where you can read the brochure and understand the workings from room to room. It all had an order and you wouldn't miss anything.

After the Picasso, I stopped at home for lunch, which I actually picked up at the famous L'as du Falafel. I can't say falafels are my favorite food, but those served at the very busy L'As were yummy! I checked on my reservation for Fat Tire for that night and then headed out for round two of bizarre art, Centre Pompidou. The are around the museum was filled with sun bathers and street performers, and had a festive atmosphere. The fountains also added to the fun.


I went inside to buy my ticket, ad went up the external escalator. I will tell you this much, if it wasn't for the work by Matisse and a few others, the museum would have been a waste of time and money. As is the first gallery, was in my mind awful. How some of the things can be deemed art is beyond me! The upper gallery was a bit better, with more well known and decipherable paintings. I didn't spend much time there anyway, and soon was on the terracem enjoying yet another view.

Once I left the museum, I headed out to the Eiffel Tower to meet my bike and bike group. It turns out that they run several evening tours so everyone gets to go. Once a large of Aussies, Canadians, Americans, and British had gathered we went to pick up bikes and head out. We all got to wear stylish safety vests, in order to remain visible as evening came. I was a bit worried about bikeriding in Paris, but traveling in such a large group made it easy. We took over the bike lanes and sometimes regular lanes and never were we hassled. The ride took us through St.Germain, Ile de La Cite (where we all stopped to get Berthillions.) The pace we kept was brisk but easy to maintain. The highlights for me was viewing the Louvre all lit up and then as we headed to the Tuilleries, the ET lit up and sparkled. It all looked so magical and beautiful that it would be hard not to fall in love with Paris if you hadn't already done so!

We rode our bikes to the Baton Mouche station and boarded one of the cruises. These cruises are fun and gorgeous because the boats use a spotlight to light everything up. Also perhaps the wine being passed around made it fun too!

The boat took us up to Ile St. Louis and then back down to where the skyscrapers stood, even though I hate to call that part Paris since it is so different! The group was fun and by the end of the boat & bike ride, several people had made new friends! We were also quite fortunate to see the tower light up again as we pulled up at the bike shop. All in all it was a wonderful ride and I highly recommend it. The guides make Paris manageable and are very helpful!