Wednesday, June 6th -- This day was nearing the end of our trip and I'm actually writing the final journal entries from home after our return. I just ran out of time to keep it up -- sorry for that.  The girls had decided that they needed at least a day to look at shops, so Daniel and I decided to do a few more touristy things that every first time Parisian visitor must see -- the Eiffel Tower and Napoleon's Tomb.  Although I had a great view of the Eiffel Tower from the Arc de Triomphe, Daniel really wanted me to see it up close and in person, so we made that our first destination.  As we were all heading in the same direction, the five of us left the apartment together and on the way to our Metro (subway station), we decided to stop and see the Museum of Science and Industry (Cite des Sciences et de l'Industrie)  showing the development of science in France from the 1700's through modern times.  It was a delightful find, and totally unexpected. From Pascal's early calculating machines, to the Cray Computer the Museum was divided into science sections, such as textiles manufacturing, time keeping, construction, flight, you get the idea.  Well worth an hour if you happen to be in Paris and have seen everything else you came to see.

From there Daniel and I took the subway to a stop near the Eiffel Tower.  It really is an amazing sight to see, although why anyone would want to walk up winding stairs to the tower top mystifies me.  And to have to wait in line for what had to be at least three hours makes the process insane.  Pris was filled with insane tourists though as the line to buy tickets to do just that was as long or longer than the lines to see Saint Paul's in Rome.

The location must also be a favorite for getting wedding pictures taken as we saw five or six Asian brides in full gowns with attendants holding their trains and fully outfitted grooms leaving together from the public bathroom under the Tower.  How they managed the crowded toilets with all that material is another mystery.

From there we walked to the Hotel National des Invalides housing the Musee de l'Armee where Napoleon's body is entombed.  At one time the building was a national hospital, but now houses a military museum, Napoleon's Tomb, and the tombs of several other famous military figures.  The pictures really tell a much better picture that I can describe.

Nearby is the museum created to hold the works of Rodin.  The 'Thinker" is prominently displayed in the formal gardens of the museum, and at the time of our visit was surrounded by thongs of asian visitors, to thick that it was impossible to get near the sculpture.  His doors are also in the Garden and are probably the most impressive I've ever seen.  Again, the pictures are far more descriptive than I any commentary I can provide.

By the time we finished at the Musee Rodin we finally heard from the girls and arranged to meet them at the Musee National de l'Orangerie, tucked away in the Tuileries Gardens.  The l'Orangerie was recently opened after extensive renovations and holds Clause Monet's vast collection of Water Lilies in addition to the extensive works of Renoir, Cexanne, Modiglianni, Matisse, Picasso , Derain, and Soutine among many others.  Two exhibit rooms are devoted to the Water Lillies which surround the visitor in 360 degree oval rooms. Unfortunatly, no photography is permitted in the museum, so I am unable to share the magnificent paintings that have captivated generations of viewers. I guess you'll just have to take a trip to Paris and see for yourself.

The Tuileries Gardens seemed very familiar as they are depicted in so many Paris scenes. Looking from the gates of the garden in one direction the Champs-Elysees runs to the Arc de Triomphe, and beyond the park in the other direction the Louvre. 

That evening we ate dinner at Cafe Bowfinger, this time at their main restaurant. While the restaruant itself is lovely and has a lot of historical significance, and the food was good, it was not to the standards any of us had expected. We ended up eating at a much better restaurant the next evening near our apartment and spent a lot less. But more of that in my next posting, our last day in Paris.