My day started earlier than usual. I had planned to take a tour of the Cirque d'Hiver which they offer once a month. It's a place I'd heard of but never known much about before. Carolina and Max's school mate from the Phoenix School has become a professional trapeze artist. I see her posts on fb and had seen that she was coming here to perform. The performances begin a week from now, so I won't be able to see her perform. But we arranged to meet up at noon today after my tour and before her rehearsal began at 1230.
I couldnt buy a ticket online ( credit cards stolen, remember? ) so decided to just show up and hopefully buy a ticket there. That worked out relatively well with a couple of glitches. One, in my rush to catch the bus I got on in wrong direction. Got off at the next stop but it was a long stretch and probably added ten minutes to my trip. Had a little trouble finding the way- I have no internet on route- but am getting pretty good at asking for directions. Arrived at 10:03. No open door but several people waiting. Turns out there was some problem with the guide getting there, which I didn't understand, but he arrived at 10:30. He never took tickets, which I think all the others had, so I got a free tour. It was all in French and I understood a good part of it. He said afterward that he would have been happy to speak in English for part of it. But I hadn't wanted him to. It was really good practice for my French skills.
The place is beautiful and historic. We saw dressing rooms, costumes, and, best of all the theater itself. I don't know how often this happens, but we got to see about fifteen minutes of an aerialist rehearsing her act accompanied by a pianist on a piano that rose up from the stage. It was magical. They were rehearsing the lighting as well. This is my third encounter with a rising piano in the last few weeks. First there was one in part of the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Outdoors. I watched that on tv at home. Next, one of the weird moving apparatuses in the exhibit at the Musee des arts Naif involved a rising piano. And then today at the Cirque. All of them in Paris.
There was so much more to the tour than I can relate. Suffice it to say that if you happen to be in Paris on a Saturday morning you might want to check out the tour. I'm sure they'll be happy to do some of it in English.
I did understand that the art of trapeze was invented there, by a performer named Jules Leotard! And Izzy later told me that it felt like the pinnacle of her career to be performing there. I'm not sure she actually used that word,but I did!
Let's see, what else can I relate before running out of time or energy? I feel like there's much more to tell, despite my frustrating reduced level of energy.
Well, there's the Petit Palais , another place I'd not been to previously or known much about. It sits across from the Grand Palais which is open for special events and exhibits. It isnt petit at all, but i guess smaller than the Grand. It is an exquisitely beautiful building with both permanent and special exhibits. It has a wide variety of art, some by artists I recognized, many beautiful pieces by people I did not. But to me most special of all was the interior garden and cafe. I I wouldn't have discovered it at all but for the sign at an elevator indicating it. It was an oasis with all kinds of plantings, pools with mosaic trim, and best of all, canvas sling lounging chairs throughout with no obligation to purchase anything from the cafe. It was the first sunny warm day in my two weeks. Lots of people were basking in the sun. As did I for about three quarters of an hour. I highly recommend a visit.
Today after the tour I debated where to head next and decided to walk toward the Marais again and perhaps head over to the Jewish Museum after having discovered it closed for Rosh Hashanah on my previous attempt. It was a longish but pleasant walk. Lots of people out strolling and sitting in cafes and more English and other languages spoken than I'd heard in two weeks. But clearly lots of locals too. I stopped to browse in several stores looking for ways to spend my remaining euros. Got several ideas but decided to wait. Got to the museum and after walking into the courtyard decided I was too tired for that too and thought I might want to save my remaining euros for an extravagant (for me) last restarant meal.
So my plans for my last half day tomorrow are still up in the air, before I go up in the air myself. In the morning I'll eat the remainder of today's baguette, still surprisingly good in the morning. If I have the time and energy I might head back to the Marais once more for some last minute purchases or even the museum. Or I may try to get into the Bouillon Julien. They have no reservations left but apparently do take walk ins. I want to go there as much for the stunning decor and mosaics as for the food. I haven't figured out just what the difference is between a bouillon, a bistro and a brasserie is, but am going to look it up and perhaps let you know in my next post.
Or, I might just head downstairs to the Mome cafe/restaurant right downstairs a little earlier than my 3pm taxi and have a last meal and coffee there. All of the possibilities sound good. I'll just have to wake and pack and then see.
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