I have to be honest. I am feeling a little blue today. It feels strange being alone again after having my parents accompany me (sometimes grudgingly because I make them walk too much) for two and a half weeks. Seeing them leave today mean going back fully into backpacker mode - thinking economically and very simply. I can only hope that I haven't reached the stage where I am tired of travelling.
I guess this is the "real" start to my European adventure. This leg is quite different to my time in the Americas. I haven't done much planning - no pre-booked accommodation or transport. I've just got a rail pass, a return flight to Greece and a list of the cities I hope to visit. I am a little nervous with just going with the flow on this one. Thank goodness, I have my friends that I'll catch up with along the way.
I had a difficult time pulling myself out of bed and out of the apartment today, but I'm glad I made it to Musée D'Orsay as planned. It was my first visit into a museum in Paris. Having had to miss out on Giverny this visit, I had to pay homage to Monet and that's why I chose Orsay over Louvre. I could never pretend to like Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa more than any Monet art (although I would've loved to go there too).
Musée d'Orsay is housed in a beautifully restored old railway station and is known for its rich collection of Impressionism, an art movement that was largely fueled by my favourite artist, Claude Monet. Just like hearing the start of "A Girl from Ipanema" immediately relaxes me, a Monet painting has the effect of injecting a little happiness no matter how weary my soul can be. I realize how deeply in love I still am with his work every time I see his art. It just transports you into a different beautiful realm of mind. Apart from Monet, there was a good representation of other artists that I've grown to appreciate like Henry Rousseau, George Seurat, Gustav Klimt, Edvard Munch and of course, the amazing Vincent van Gogh. Odilon Redon is someone new that I discovered here and like.
Emma and Sophie (some friends I met in Rio) caught up with me after over nutella crèpes and chocolat viennois at Trocadero, where you have a wonderful view of the Eiffel tower. It was a great end to my visit to Paris.
I'm off very early tomorrow to Spain's Donostia/San Sebastian. Hoping for some sun and warmth after all the rain and cold in Paris!
