Musee de Rodin

 Bon jour, mes amies,

You can see by the title of this post that I made it. It took some doing, but it was worth it and a very satisfying day out.

This time I was prepared.  I used google maps to work out a route from Place de Concorde.  As I surmised it was a reasonable walk.  The snag was that the street that google maps wanted me to take once I'd crossed the river seemingly didn't exist.  Instead I fetched up at the Esplanade des Invalides and found a sign directing me to the Musee Rodin.  I found it with no problem and got in right away using my museum pass.

To my delight the museum had been refurbished and the gardens expanded.  Mes amies, it's worth it to come for the garden alone, but you will also find examples of the artist's wonderful works.  He's one of my favorites.  You can find The Thinker among the roses, and further along is the monumental figure of Balzac (google him!).  I had a lovely wander in this green and flowery site with its meandering paths punctuated by works of art. In Art History Rodin is classified as a Post Impressionist, but he was classically trained, and one can see the traces of classicism in some of his works.  He began with conventional works, but he soon threw that off, and his art became much more powerful and expressive.  There's a great exhibit inside as well.  I did the gardens first, but it's your choice.  I especially like Walking Man (yeah, google it) and the Kiss.

Then I had to make my way back to the Place de Concorde.  I came upon my bank's international partner and obtained some cash.  I got on the metro and came back, but I had developed a yen for fromage, so instead of coming straight home I attended Rue Montorgueil and found a fromagerie that had exactly what I wanted.  A tasting will follow.

But first.  Is Paris water magic?  I wear my mask every day for hours on end, and yet I do not have the maskne I had at home.  Speaking of masks.  They are required on public transit, and people wear them.  I cannot promise that everyone wears the mask correctly.  I see nostrils.  I do not like this.  And moreover, do you know what the predominant litter is in Paris these days?  It used to be cigarette butts, but the city mounted a campaign against this.  Now in these days of Covid 19 what you will find on the streets are discarded masks.  They are everywhere!

Stop messing around, Pil, and get to the cheese.

I got some more Valencay because I like it so much, and goat cheese is easier on my aging digestive system.  It really has a distinctive flavor I cannot describe.  You'll need to come and taste it for yourselves.  The other cheese I got was some raw milk (lait cru) Livarot.  Raw milk cheese that has not been aged for sixty days is illegal in the United States.  The stuff I got is AOP, and we are in stinky territory.  This is a cows milk cheese from Normandy, and it's soooooo goooood.

A demain