... a day at the museum(s) ...

i may have already mentioned that one of the benefits of walking everywhere is accidentally (or unexpectedly) finding things you'd hoped to see but had not yet taken the time to locate. when i was walking to the eiffel tower the other day, i passed the musee de cluny (actually, the musee national du moyen age, formerly musee de cluny, officially known as the musee national du moyen age - thermes et hotel de cluny, or national museum of the middle ages - cluny thermal baths and mansion -- talk about a mouthful!), which was on my list of "must sees" while in paris. 

the museum is housed in "an exceptional parisian monument," the gothic mansion cluny abbey hotel (late 15th century), which is partially constructed of the remains of the gallo-roman baths dating from the third century (thermes de cluny) and  is recognized as the most outstanding example still extant of civic architecture in medieval paris -- turreted walls, gargoyles, and dormers (i took some of this from wikipedia and the cluny's website, by the way). so, the building itself is something spectacular to see (both inside and out), especially if you're a fan of gothic architecture.  inside, you'll find early medieval sculptures (my favorite) from the 7th and 8th centuries; works of gold and ivory; antique furnishings; stained glass (so beautiful! -- and intended to give poor people a glimpse of the glories of heaven); the roman baths (kind of fun to see these in paris, too); and, most impressive, a tapestry collection, which includes the fifteenth century tapestry cycle la dame a la licorne (the lady and the unicorn) -- the modern title given to six tapestries woven in flanders from wool and silk, from designs drawn in paris around 1500. these six tapestries, five of which are commonly interpreted as depicting the five senses (the sixth as representing love or understanding), are often considered one of the greatest works of art of the middle ages in europe (and i can see why!). 

the tapestries were stunning, absolutely stunning (the photo really can't do the art justice, it just can't). i would not even have known to stop at the cluny if it were not for my friend mary t-b, who told me about this gem of a museum and the unicorn tapestries (thanks, MTB!).

oh, and check out this ceiling. can you stand it? it's a picture of the vaults of the gothic chapel ceiling. breathtaking, if you ask me, breathtaking.

after visiting the cluny, i'd planned to find my way to the champs élysées (again); i even had the route programmed into my phone for ease. and i was off and walking ... only, a sign for the musee d'orsay distracted me and compelled me to change my plans (again). interestingly, the d'orsay is housed in a former railway station that was built between 1898 and 1900 (i really wish i could have snapped a photo of the inside -- you can still get that old train station feel, especially if you're looking over the main floor from another level) and holds mainly french art from 1848-1915, including paintings, sculptures (my favorite!), furniture, and photography.   here, you'll find the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces, works of art from monet, manet, degas, renoir, cezanne, seurat, sisley, gauguin, and van gogh.  now, i am not a huge impressionist fan (though, i am not going to lie: it was pretty neat to see the monet and degas collections up close and personal, like), but i really do like van gogh, quite a bit actually. so, it was exciting to see his la nuit etoilee (starry night), self portrait, vincent's bedroom in arles, la guinguette (terrace of a cafe on montmartre), and fritillaries in a copper vase, which happens to be the inspiration behind the one (and only) painting i've ever created (you can see the resemblance, right?).

(van  gogh: this image was taken from the interwebs, as photography is not allowed at the d'orsay)

(van amy: this image was lifted from my facebook mobile uploads, as my photos are not under copywrite)

here's a shot i took after touring the museum (see below). i've noticed that most of the museums i've toured, if not all of them, have interesting art outside, too, whether sculpture, or statue, or print, or whatever -- the experience does not end when you walk out the museum's doors, which is very, very, very cool, if you ask me.  these are four of "six continents," which are displayed on the southern side of the d'orsay's esplanade. from right to left: australia, south america, north america, and (partial) africa (i wish i could have captured all six -- mayhap a return trip is in order before the week's end ...).

what a full day of museum going it turned out to be; no wonder i am exhausted at night. but i can't get enough, either. right now, as i type this, i feel so fortunate -- fortunate to have the means to be here in this wonderfully, awe-fully (as in full of awe), breathtakingly beautiful city (cities); fortunate to have an employer who allows its employees to take extended vacations; fortunate to have an education with a foundation in the arts; fortunate to be a citizen of this world; fortunate, fortunate, fortunate. this life is so good i can hardly stand it. seriously. i. can. hardly. stand. it.