fuck, i really want some pancakes

Today was my first day back in Paris. I've missed it.

I didn't go to bed last night until almost 1:30 so I wasn't surprised when I slept in until 8:30. I spent my morning lounging in bed talking to Lauren and Jimmy while I ate potato chips and ice cream. I'd call that the breakfast of champions. I was going to go to Versailles today, but it was closed because it's Monday. I then turned to my backup plan to go to Canal Saint-Martin to have Mexican food. It turns out that the restaurant doesn't open until 19. My third plan was to finally going to the impressionist exhibition at the Musée du Luxembourg. I've been meaning to go, but with a nine euro ticket price I was reluctant.

I finally got myself out of bed at about 11 and spent some time doing my hair and makeup. I picked out an outfit of blue jeans, my black patterned sweater, and my tan hat. I was dismayed when I got outside because it was freezing. I was hoping that it would warm up when I started walking around. I would have no such luck. I suppose that winter/fall has hit Paris. The trees are leafless and the sky is gray and cloudy. I can only imagine what the weather is going to be like next month. I pulled my hat down and walked to Gare de Lyon.

My instructions told me to take the 4 to the 14. I tried to find the 14, but I'm out of practice taking the metro. I finally found my way to a line that I thought was the 14, but it was just a different spot on the one than I'm used to. I know that the one goes to châtelet so I decided to take the longer route. I took the one to the four and got off at saint-sulpice. I knew the way to the garden already due to my misadventure for patrimony days. My trip was a lot smoother this time considering that I had directions. I walked to the museum and found a long line of people already there. The sign next to the line stated that it would be a one hour wait from that point to get into the museum.

It was cold outside and my nose started to run as I waited to get into the building. After some time I finally got in. It turns out that the exhibition was only 7,50 instead of the nine I was expecting. I paid and went in to join the crowd of people. The space was small and it didn't help that there were people everywhere. No wonder there was a wait to get in. I actually really liked the museum. The selection of works was fantastic, and they had some amazing Monet beach scenes. The exhibition was a little small, but exhibition are normally rather small. Besides the crowds and the fact that I had to pay I really have no complaints.

I wasn't inside the museum for very long, and I had already used a metro ticket to get there. I might as well explore. If I have learned any lesson today it's to not be like me. I'm just a checklist girl. I only go to places to check them off my list and sometimes I forget to actually explore them. I entered the garden near the museum and was totally amazed. It's nothing like the area that I saw the first time I went to the garden with my class. This section of the garden was filled with sculptures and beautiful flowers and trees. I walked around taking pictures of the fall leaves against the perfectly blue sky. In the area that is normally lined with perfectly sculpted hedges that are way taller than a human being was now only stumps as all of the leaves had fallen off. I'm not used to seasons.

Fall trees

The garden

There was even a statue of liberty sculpture. I just read an article for histories that stated that the statue is one of the greates civil war statues in the US. It also stated how the statue is linked to the French fight for democracy. Fascinating. 

Fall

Flowers and a sculpture

I had a really nice walk during my sculpture hunt. Most of the sculptures were of people, but some were of animals (there was a lion and then one with several deer). There's even an area where the garden cultivates plants, and there was also another building that I think was originally educational.
Parisians go to parks like Californians go to the beach, so every chair and nook was filled with teenagers on their lunch break. Despite the chatter, the garden was very quite and relaxing. I'm glad that I walked around instead of just going home. I also got in some really good flower shots. It pays to take the time to adventure.

A deer sculpture

Flowers and a sculpture in the background

I always find flowers

Les Phares

Rubens, fleuve d'oubli, jardin de la paresse,
Oreiller de chair fraîche où l'on ne peut aimer,
Mais où la vie afflue et s'agite sans cesse,
Comme l'air dans le ciel et la mer dans la mer;

Léonard de Vinci, miroir profond et sombre,
Où des anges charmants, avec un doux souris
Tout chargé de mystère, apparaissent à l'ombre
Des glaciers et des pins qui ferment leur pays;

Rembrandt, triste hôpital tout rempli de murmures,
Et d'un grand crucifix décoré seulement,
Où la prière en pleurs s'exhale des ordures,
Et d'un rayon d'hiver traversé brusquement;

Michel-Ange, lieu vague où l'on voit des Hercules
Se mêler à des Christs, et se lever tout droits
Des fantômes puissants qui dans les crépuscules
Déchirent leur suaire en étirant leurs doigts;

Colères de boxeur, impudences de faune,
Toi qui sus ramasser la beauté des goujats,
Grand coeur gonflé d'orgueil, homme débile et jaune,
Puget, mélancolique empereur des forçats;

Watteau, ce carnaval où bien des coeurs illustres,
Comme des papillons, errent en flamboyant,
Décors frais et légers éclairés par des lustres
Qui versent la folie à ce bal tournoyant;

Goya, cauchemar plein de choses inconnues,
De foetus qu'on fait cuire au milieu des sabbats,
De vieilles au miroir et d'enfants toutes nues,
Pour tenter les démons ajustant bien leurs bas;

Delacroix, lac de sang hanté des mauvais anges,
Ombragé par un bois de sapins toujours vert,
Où, sous un ciel chagrin, des fanfares étranges
Passent, comme un soupir étouffé de Weber;

Ces malédictions, ces blasphèmes, ces plaintes,
Ces extases, ces cris, ces pleurs, ces Te Deum,
Sont un écho redit par mille labyrinthes;
C'est pour les coeurs mortels un divin opium!

C'est un cri répété par mille sentinelles,
Un ordre renvoyé par mille porte-voix;
C'est un phare allumé sur mille citadelles,
Un appel de chasseurs perdus dans les grands bois!

Car c'est vraiment, Seigneur, le meilleur témoignage
Que nous puissions donner de notre dignité
Que cet ardent sanglot qui roule d'âge en âge
Et vient mourir au bord de votre éternité!

(this part of the poem was at the bottom of one of the sculptures; I later googled the phrase to find out what it belong to)

— Charles Baudelaire

I walked back to the metro and started my trek home. I actually stood on the wrong platform for a minute before realizing my mistake and correcting myself. I knew that I wasn't supposed to go towards La Défense! I really am out of practice. When I got on the train there were two girls who were leaning against the metal piece in the center of the car for people to hold onto. How dare they! That is for everyone's use. You can lean on it when the car is empty, but the car was obviously full. The nerve!

I made it back home and went straight to bed. I might have papers to edit and reading to do, but I just can't bring myself to do any work. While I was talking to Lauren this morning I was lamenting that I can't watch Netflix/American shows because the internet knows that I'm in France. She told me about this program on google chrome that allows me to trick the computer into thinking that I'm still in the US. I spent my afternoon watching all of the South Park episodes that I've missed this season. Say goodbye to my life. I'll be in bed watching Netflix.

While I was watching tv, I got a response from Caroline. We are going to have brunch at her home at  one o'clock tomorrow with her goddaughter. I'm so exicted. I googled where she lives, and it turns out that she lives right next to Jardin des Plantes! It's only a 24 minute walk! I can have brunch and stop by the garden. Win-win.

 After my few hours binge watching I thought that it was time to do some reading. I have to read about rock métis in France for pop, and I was not looking forward to it. The reading isn't interesting, but I learned a new word--métis. It's someone who is born to parents of different races. I hate learning. I also learned during my reading that some unknown creature bit me during my holiday. There are three large welts all in a row on the back of my right arm near my elbow.

After reading I ate some popcorn before my skype date with mom. After we chatted I painted my nails while watching netflix. I had her text Matthew for me to get the Netflix ID and password. I'm currently watching a show about a freak show in Venice Beach. It's like I never left California.