Paris Day 1 - Musee d'Orsay

Over the last several weeks, whenever we would mention our upcoming trip to Paris, everyone would gush about how gorgeous the city is.  This was always followed by plenty of advice on what to see and do, where to eat, etc.  It seemed that Paris can have quite the lasting effect on people.  Well, after spending five glorious days exploring the city, I wholeheartedly agree.  Paris is a city that draws you in and encourages you to savor every moment.  The architecture is stunning, the food is to die for, and the museum options are endless.

For our first cultural venture, we chose the Musee d'Orsay.  This particular museum is deceptively large and ended up taking all day to see everything, but it has an amazing collection of late-19th century and early- 20th century art.  Most notably, it houses the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist works in the world.  And since these two are both in my top favorites as far as movements, it was bliss to be surrounded by these incredible artists for a few hours.

The building the museum is located in was previously a train station.  The main portion displays the sculptures, and the smaller wings built off the sides hold all the paintings and decorative arts.  All of the paintings were spectacular, but a few of the highlights for me included Manet's Olympia, Renoir's Bal du moulin de la Galette, Millet's The Gleaner's, and everything by van Gogh and Gauguin.  It's amazing to experience these works in person.

Halfway through our culture overload, we stopped for a quick pick-me-up at the museum cafe, which meant wine, tea, and delicious desserts.  

You can never go wrong with wine and dessert.