The Fourth of July and the Musée d'Orsay

Yesterday was the Fourth of July and it was such a busy day I didn't even have time to write!  In the morning we got up a little later and had our last walking tour of the Latin Quarter.  This time we focused on the area to the north of the Foyer and the 6th arrondissement.  We walked through the Sorbonne and even managed to slip inside to look at one of the classrooms.  Technically we weren't supposed to take pictures but....

After passing the Sorbonne we approached the Seine at the very top of the Latin Quarter.  This area was packed full of tinier-than-usual weaving streets, old leaning buildings, tourist traps, and some of Paris' oldest nightlife like the Famous Caveau de la Huchette (a jazz club).  Paris' smallest street is actually located here.  It's called Rue du Chat Qui Pêche which translates to Fishing Chat Street.

After weaving through there we left the 5th and crossed into the 6th arrondissement.  Here we stopped at Place Saint-Michel where a giant fountain was built during the second French Empire.

We also passed some of Paris' most well-known and famous cafés, including the Café Procope, which is Paris' oldest and first café.  We also passed Café de Flore and Café des Deux Magots which is where Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Simone de Beauvoir spent time during the 1950s and 60s discussing philosophy, theology, and of course, existentialism.

We also visited Paris' oldest church: Église de Saint-Germain-des-Prés.  The church was built in the 6th century so it's positively ancient.  It has been added on to and redecorated over the years so while it's still a lot darker and heavier than the Gothic churches, it's quite beautiful.

In the afternoon we visited the Musée Cluny, or the Medieval Art museum in Paris.  While some of the art was interesting or striking, most of it was rather repetitive.  Lots of old jewelry, pottery, tapestries, carved wood, and religious art.  One cool thing I saw there though was a giant Narhwal horn.

The most interesting thing about the entire museum though, was that it had been built next to an old Roman bath.  One of the rooms was renovated enough for visitors to walk through and it was amazing how big it was.

To celebrate the Fourth of July later most of our group went out to an American bar several blocks from the Foyer.  We had a few American drinks, listened to some American music, and had a great time.

This morning was more or less normal in terms of classes.  I went to all three classes where we continued to learn about Medieval French society, the geography of France, and our French detective novel.  For lunch we wandered down Boulevard Saint-Michel and found a great pasta restaurant.  The pasta was good, but the best part was the very light addition of alfredo sauce.  I'm sure it was loaded with cream and butter, but it was put on light enough that I could pretend it was only a little unhealthy.

After classes ended we took the bus (as a group) to the Musée d'Orsay.  There we had a museum guide who took us through and showed us the major paintings, giving us a general summary of art between 1850 and 1900 (that's what the museum is devoted to).  While we can go back for free because we have a student ID card, I doubt I'll be interested in revisiting.  Spending an hour and half with the Impressionists was definitely enough for me.

On the way out it started to rain, so after coming back to the Foyer, I grabbed a crêpe for dinner and am planning on spending the rest of the night taking it easy here at the Foyer.  Tomorrow's going to be a big day so spending a little more time asleep tonight can't hurt.