Le week-end de Pâques

So I went back again to Paris on Saturday. This time it was guided by two CIDEF teachers, one of them my Art History teacher, Madame Rose Lecompte. As seen by this photo of her, she has a very easy-going, happy sort of personality and naturally because of that, she is a constant student favorite.

The purpose of going to Paris for the art history students like me was to visit le Musée D'Orsay. The focus of this museum is to generally pick up where the Louvre stops on the art history time-line. Beginning with some very, very late neo-classicism and romanticism, the Orsay continues until the rise of Dada, Surrealism, cubism, etc. To continue onward, a good general place to go would be Le Centre Pompidou. Growing up in America and going to American museums (specifically thinking about the Chicago Art Institute), the Impressionists are just a natural part of the experience. The late-19th and early-20th nouveau riche Americans LOVED the work and it was fairly cheap too and the French were completely disinterested in it...at the time. It should be good to note that I've always have had an Impressionist-bias. The whole "I paint what I feel." philosophy appeals to the romantic in me.

Concerning the Orsay, my limited exposure to world museums nevertheless tells me that their Manet and realist collections are second to none. One might be able to say the same as well for their Neo-Impressionist paintings. They also display Manet's L'Olympia and Le déjeuner sur l'herbe. With those two along with the other lesser-known paintings by Manet in the museum, one can see the essentials of the artist himself and his style. I leave myself open for argument to fellow art nerds out there.


Now the impressionists themselves?

Yes, they're there. I especially enjoyed seeing Monet's Les coquelicots and his series on the light effects of la cathédrale de Rouen. However, I'm sorry that I still have to say to get the biggest impression of the Impressionists, go to the New York Met or the Chicago Institute.

Still, so worth going to the Orsay all the same.


The other place I visited with the CIDEF students was L'Opéra Garnier. You know that you're in an expensive neighborhood when you're considering it very daring of you to venture a guess at real estate prices. That's what you get when you walk the Haussmann district though. Once we got to the theater though, I found it a lot more fun playing Phantom of the Opera scores in my head. The place begs for it from all who are like me.
Oh, and, yes, that is a "new" coat. AHA was having something of a mini clothing swap the other week and I got a swanky winter coat (at the very beginning of spring, I know.) and a pair of eccentrically bright purple socks. Thanks to Sue, the head coordinator of AHA, for hooking me up! That coat came just in time for the hockey game I mentioned earlier as well!



Finally got a picture of Monsieur's parents! For Easter/Pâques, we had a short but very pleasant visit with them and I have Le Gâteau de Pâques. Basically, it is a heavy cake done in the Breton region style, stuffed completely with prunes. Soooooooo goooooooood. And perfect with tea and/or coffee. Guess what I'm making for next Easter, guys!

After that, the family and I went to Madame's family's Easter gathering. It was very informal and "cool." The youngest cousin was even sporting jeans and a Franklin and Marshall hoodie. Now, there's an interesting Italian brand. The whole purpose was to bring the super, super casual style of American universities to Europe, specifically Italy. I find it to be rather cleaned up and too Europeanized to be really "American." The brand is still very popular in France and Italy at least and of course carries the most expensive hoodies I've ever laid eyes on.

After an amazing, several course dinner, we went exploring the local castle ruins of le Château Pathenay which encircles the original medieval town. It is always more interesting visiting anything with a native and Madame's mother was very pleased to show me all of the old town defenses and how it worked.

This is Monsieur on the left walking Chanel, the Jack Russell/Beagle mix of the Péaud's. One of Madame's brothers (who has traveled to Columbus, Ohio randomly enough) is on the right. Yes, the man is wearing All Star sneakers. They're navy to be exact. He thinks they're the most comfortable things out there.

Here is Monsieur again, keeping Chanel away from attacking a fellow dog. Sundays are jaunting days in France. After lunch, families just get up and talk a Sunday afternoon stroll. Naturally, très joli.


Parthenay unfortunately is yet another dying town in the French countryside due to large companies coming in and taking over the agricultural businesses and jobs moving to the cities like Lille, Lyon, Nice, and Paris.

To the American farmers back home, sound familiar?

Well, I'm going back to reserving hotel room in the Provence region of France. Will try to find ones with a promising WiFi connection. As always, the French WiFi system can disappoint. Chez Péaud is no problem. Just good luck in a supposed WiFi enabled McDonald's. Ugh.