Paris, France: Day Three – Museums and Rue Cler
Our third day in France was the first day of our Paris Museum Pass, which counts for admission plus usually a special queue that helps you get into the museums faster. We took a four-day pass (€48).
This was a somewhat difficult day for us, as we had not thought to check the weather forecast nor the expected temperature during the day, and we were cold whenever we ventured out into the streets.
We started the day queuing up bright and early at Musée d’Orsay. We had a Parisienne lady ignore us when we asked for the correct queue, but some fellow tourists directed us.
No photography inside. It was vast, with a lot of exhibits to take in and a lot of people to step through. We were tired from the previous two days. Museum fatigue set in early.
Protip: do not over exert yourselves. And bring vitamins.
I remember a fairly quiet noon at Rue Cler, peppered with a few open shops at this popular market street in the middle of Paris. I was expecting more of a bustle, but maybe it’s too late out?
We had lunch at Café du Marche, right at the corner of Rue Cler and Rue du Champ de Mars. We were served by a lovely girl who was amazed at how long our flights were.
The menu that day; look at the size of that thing.
Entrecote grillee, sauce bearnaise, pommes sautees, salade verte. Grilled steak, bearnaise sauce, fried potatoes, green salad. There are lovely desserts available too. I had caramelized apples (pommes caramelisees).
After lunch and some more walking around Rue Cler, we headed on to Musée Rodin, the Rodin Museum. Auguste Rodin used the Hôtel Biron as his workshop, and contains most of his significant creations like The Kiss, The Gates of Hell, and The Thinker.
The grounds itself was expansive, lovely, and peppered with sculptures. And of course there is the requisite “The Thinker” pose.
Unfortunately, we spent so much time outside, we didn’t have as much time going around inside, where most of Rodin’s work is featured. Also, the dying light made it difficult for me to take proper shots.
We hurried on to Les Invalides afterward for Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb. We didn’t have much time, so we gave the Army Museum (Musée de l’Armée) a pass. Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb, under Jules Hardouin Mansart’s chapel dome, Église Saint-Louis des Invalides.
At this point, we were so cold, and there was still light outside, that we decided to walk down Champs Élysées and see if we could find a coat.
We didn’t. We found a McDonald’s.
However, we did also find the Arc de Trimophe.
(My friend also talks about our trips to Musée d’Orsay, Rue Cler, Café du Marche, Musée Rodin, and Les Invalides. More eloquently and with better photos, too.)