I’ve decided riding the bus around Paris is much better than riding the metro (subway). You can see so much from a bus, and it’s not crowded, and the name of each stop is called out by a computerized voice, which helps improve my French accent. So I rode the bus around town today, past many of the places I’ve already told you about and to my favorite museum.

That’s the Musée d’Orsay. It has an interesting history, having begun life as a train station in 1900. In the 1960s an enormous new train station was built to serve the areas previously served by the Orsay station, causing it to be closed. After a number of years it opened as an art museum featuring the works of late 19^th century and early 20^th century French artists. Most visitors come here to see works by the Impressionists such as Monet, Manet and Renoir. It’s easier to show you than to tell you about this big place filled with great art so that’s what I’ll do.

This is a view of the original waiting room, now filled with fine sculpture. The old hotel attached to the front of the building houses most of the paintings on its five floors.

Because it was a train station there are two enormous clocks mounted on glass on the front of the building. The view over Paris from the their 5th floor perch is wonderful. Look closely and you’ll see Sacre Coeur on top of Montmartre (that I wrote about yesterday).

When I left the museum around 5:00 it was already quite dark. I had to cross the river on the bridge made famous recently by the thousands of “love locks” placed there by couples to symbolize their undying devotion. Last year it was decided to remove them. My grandson Chris mentioned them to me before I left and I erroneously told him they had all been removed. Probably about half have been, but as you’ll see there are still thousands in place. So Chris – hurry over! You can still buy a lock from a guy on the bridge and pledge your love to Amanda.

Here’s a view of the river Seine and the locks. The building on seen on the right is the Musée d’Orsay. The tall building on the left is part of the Louvre.

Once over the bridge I walked to the Place de la Concorde (center of Paris) through the park known as the Tuileries Garden. The views there of the ferris wheel and the Eiffel Tower were great, as you can see.

Isn’t she lovely?