Monet & the Eiffel Tower, Sept 26

 Sept 26

 

   Today was another lovely, warm day. We took the RER train to the 16th arrondisement to see the Marmottan-Monet Museum. It houses over 300 paintings by Claude Monet, most a result of a donation by his son and heir, Michel Monet. 

Monet from time at Giverny

There is also a large collection of the works of Berthe Morisot, one of the first, if not the first, woman Impressionist. She married Monet's brother.

by Berthe Morisot

  Other paintings include Renoir, Sisley, Pissarro and Manet, but far few of those artists.

   The museum is housed in an old historic home, bequeathed by the Marmottan family to the Academie des Beaux-Artes.

St Bernard, gifted by Ephrussi family

    Also of interest are decorative swords to members of the Academie, including one to Marcel Marceau, the great French mime whose most famous character was Bip, the Clown.

 

The hilt of the sword for Marcel Marceau

One of the rooms in the museum

  Afterwards, we walked to a nearby patisserie, got sandwiches, water and some gazpacho and walked to a nearby park, Park Ranelagh where we had a picnic.

     Not ready to be done with our day, we took the RER to the Eiffel Tower which was very busy. We sat and lay on the lawn and watched people on the ground as well as climbing the stairs. We had no intention of going up the Tower as we did so in the past with the children.

   

Picnic in Ranelagh Park

 Then, we took the RER home. We had to wait quite a while for the trains today as only 1 of every 3 were coming through due to a work slowdown by the union.

    We had a nice chat with Nick and Sebastian. We fixed the data problem that he was having on his phone, which is quite amazing considering that we are in Paris.  Christian is enjoying kindergarten.