Elsien's Traveblogue

Went to the Petit Palais today, behind the Champs Elysees. My camera batteries gave out, so no picture. Did snap this theatre poster before they did though, which may delight Manchester United fans!
There was definitely something going on in the Elysee as the number of policemen, military as well as local, was rather over the top. No sign of Sarkozy though.
The Petit Palais houses another art collection of the Ville de Paris and its permanent collection is, like all other Ville de Paris collections, free. The tourists all go to the Louvre, Beaubourg and the Musee d'Orsay though. The Petit Palais collection is pretty eclectic, from Antiquity to 1900 – after 1900 is in the Museum of Modern Art. I went for the Courbet paintings, in a huge room; another giant painting of a Fire Brigade, reminiscent of Rembrandt's Night Watch, a couple of rather sexist ones, a very ugly landscape with cows and a lovely portrait of Courbet's friend, the philosopher Proudhon and his two little daughters. I also found a Rembrandt, a Self Portrait in oriental costume. He was not happy about the way he had painted his feet, so he painted a little dog to hide them!
There was a special exhibition on about Yves St Laurent and the queue of fashionably dressed Parisians snaked round the building. They were also trying to get lunch in the cafetaria where I'd arrived earlier, but I didn't let them rush my beer and sandwich!
It was a beautiful day, bright and sunny, but very cold. The water in the Pigalle fountain had frozen.
Back to UK today, some business to finish in Harlow and my first OU Tutorial this year in Cambridge on Saturday. Then the overnight coach to Paris on Monday, teaching in Versailles on Tuesday and straight after off to Brussels to spend some time with J. at last. Yippee! Also, I will have to start cracking on my first Art History assignment, on the influence of Vasari on biographers of Paolo Uccello – and still quite a bit to read before I get to that ...