Moving Right Along

Paris weather has decided on minimal cooperation for our trip.  Lots of clouds, little sun but also not too much rain, so far.

We did the Picasso museum & while it claims to have the largest collection of his works, Susanne & I liked the Barcelona version better.  However, Barcelona would not allow photographs.  Paris...photos, OK; no flash.

This museum is in an old mansion (but only since 1985, yesterday in European terms) & was recently remodeled.  It has way too many little rooms and follows him historically instead of Barcelona following him as his style shifted & changed (his "blue period" for example).

Instead Paris starts with first his wife Olga & only child, Paul.  See any religious art overtones?

I love an artist's self portraits...this how they see themselves at the time.  Here's Picasso at age 25.

 Picasso was not known for his landscapes, but here's one. 

Classical bathers, sort of.  Neck proportions exaggerated.

I grabbed this from the web.

The artist takes in the world through the eyes.  The image goes to the brain where it's poured into a soup of ideas, experiences, skills, feelings & alot of other "stuff".  Then out through the hands and the eyes, a piece of work emerges.

I would love to have a 2nd bottle of wine conversation with Picasso to ask him about what he was thinking/feeling when he did his portraits that put both eyes on the same side of the nose.  Maybe he wanted to show something that wasn't ordinarily seen.  Je ne sais pas!

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It seems I am not much in a picture taking mode.  We had dinner at Tony's Pizza (they're open on Monday, lots of restos aren't) and miracle of miracles...Jimmy was there.  Old home week extraordinaire...but forgot about pics.  We met Jimmy the first time we stayed in the Bastille area...1999.  On one visit he was on vacation and another, Tony's had a fire & was closed.  But other than that, we've seen him every time, probably 10 visits.

We'll probably go back next Monday & if so, will definitely take pics.

Here are some random shots.

Statue of Liberty model from the entrance to the Engineering Museum.

A very early steam tractor from 1852.  Looks like it simply pulled a farm implement; don't know where the driver walked to steer it.

The Louvre from the Left Bank, literally.

After lunch at Le Petite St. Benoit.  Walter really enjoyed his Boeuf Bourgogne.

You probably read about the "locks of love" on Pont des Arts, the Paris pedestrian bridge over the Seine and how they were over-stressing the bridge and needed to be removed.

Here are some photos:

Pont des Arts 2014:

 
Pont des Arts now:

If you're selling pest control products, how do you do a window display?  How do you make the products more interesting?  Maybe by the rats having a party.

Back to the Republique lady.  Note the white base has no graffiti.  And believe me, there's plenty of tagging elsewhere in Paris.  My opinion: there's an unwritten, unspoken social contract...no tagging on the monuments.

Anyone who's been to Buenos Aires knows the monuments there are fair game, monuments all defaced as high as can be reached.

Why the difference?  Again, my opinion.  The French are always unhappy with their leaders but opposition is limited to loud protests & heated personal discussions; kinda like the U.S. now.  The French government has been able to instill in its citizens what it means to be French.

In Argentina, they've been victimized by really lousy leaders, from the military in the '70's to recently, the Kircheners.  They have no respect for the government & take it out on the monuments.

That's it for now.