Paris Journal 2014 – Barbara Joy Cooley Home: barbarajoycooley.com

Find me on Facebook 2013 Paris Journal ← Previous Next → << Back to the beginning

The museum that features indigenous cultures and art from Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania – that is the Musée du Quai Branly. When it opened in the summer of 2006, the lines of people waiting to see it were extraordinarily long, every day. We first started admiring its garden in 2006, but did not see the museum itself until the summer of 2007. That year, we found it to be very interesting, and somewhat chaotic. In the intervening years, we’ve visited the garden many times, but haven’t returned to the museum -- until yesterday. Scarlett gave us the incentive. She lives in Chartres, and sent a Facebook message to me saying that she planned to be in Paris to see the special exhibit on the Plains Indians at the Branly. Could we meet for a drink afterwards, she asked? Great! I suggested we meet at the Café Branly, right there at the museum. We set a time of 4PM, so she’d have time to catch her evening train back to Chartres, from the Paris Montparnasse station. The weather forecast called for some very warm temperatures, some might even say “hot.” When you consider that there is not much air conditioning in Paris, “hot” is probably the word to use. Today, however, will be even hotter. Thinking that it might be a good afternoon to spend, at least partly, in an air-conditioned museum, I suggested to Tom that we see the Branly after he finished working at his computer. At 2PM, we set off, on foot, in a Paris that was heating up. We ambled slowly, as all good Southerners do. We stayed in the shade as much as possible. We had about an hour and a half to spend in the museum, so we opted for tickets to the permanent collections only. I knew we did not have enough time to see the temporary exhibition as well, because we do museums slowly. Very slowly. We spent plenty of time in Oceania, a bit less in the Americas, even less in Asia, and we flitted through Africa. We were impressed by the improvements at the museum. Chaos is gone. The museum is much more orderly now than it was at the start, and items are well displayed. The amount of English on the expository plaques is minimal. I’m thankful that I read French well; that helps immensely in a museum like this. I wish I could speak French more quickly and smoothly, but I’ll be happy with the way I am, for now. For English-only visitors, I’d recommend reading about the museum before going there. And the optional English audioguide is a good idea, if you don’t read French. The museum is worth seeing. I don’t think there is another collection of indigenous art like this anywhere. The architecture of the museum itself is fascinating. When we exited the museum and began our way toward the Café, through the garden, I saw two women who exited the gift shop, walking right in front of us. I’d only met Scarlett face-to-face one other time, very briefly, when she and my friend Darla stopped at an Island Jazz concert while they were out bicycling on Sanibel. Then I’d seen her Facebook photos. One of the women just ahead of us could well be her, I thought. So I simply said, “Scarlett.” She turned around. Yes! That’s her. After greetings she introduced us to her friend, Isa – a real Parisian. Scarlett has an unusual half-American, half-French background, and she teaches English to middle-schoolers in Chartres. We had plenty to talk about over mineral water and a huge dish of ice cream that we all shared at the Café. It was a good time. Then at last, Isa and Scarlett had to go, so Scarlett could catch her train. We parted, and then Tom and I began the slow trek home. It was the hottest part of the day. That necessitated a stop in an air-conditioned grocery on the way home. We popped into Monoprix to buy V8 juice and Italian espresso coffee – two things we don’t find at the Dia on our street. Monoprix was busy and overpriced. We vowed to go to the food hall at Marks and Spencer soon. Prices are better there. Today will be even hotter, so I’m closing up the apartment to keep the cool morning air. It is 8AM. Time to do that right now! Find me on Facebook

Friday, July 18, 2014 A peaceful corner of the Champ de Mars, where concerts occasionally happen in the bandstand. After the Bastille Day parade, some soldiers in unusual dress uniforms, complete with swords, hang out with civilian friends on the avenue de la Motte-Picquet. World Cup fever strikes even the best restaurants of the tony 7^th arrondissement. ← Previous Next →