Last day in Paris: The art market and the flea market in Montparnasse, the Orangerie, Bourgeois hands, the Centre Georges Pompidou, the Forum des Halles

Our last day in Paris.  So depressing!  Just when we have settled into the art of finding a cafe from time to time to rest the feet and soul, have a refreshment or two and people watch.  Just when we have mastered the wonderful Metro and the joys of not having to have a car.  Just when we are feeling confident with French and acknowledging the need for us to get into a conversation class to keep up our skills.  Just when we are realising that August is the worst time to be in Paris because all the most interesting shops are closed, so we need to be here when they reopen.  Just when we are thinking that we need more time to explore outside of Paris.  Plus, we haven't visited all the galleries yet!

We decided to just wander for our last day, so we popped in at the local art market  ( just outside the Edgar Quinet metro exit, on Boulevard Edgar Quinet).  Called the "Marche de la creation Paris -Montparnasse", it is  quite an old market  based on the 1920's  "le marche aux navets" ( the "Turnip Market") where "La Horde de Montparnasse" group of painters, which included people like Modigliani and Chagall, used to exhibit and try to sell their work.   Now, it consists of of a large group of individual artists who exhibit, work and sell under the market awnings in the centre of the  boulevard, in the same location that the local produce market is held at other times.   We debated the wisdom of buying more art. We could have bought paintings, silk scarves, sculptures, etchings, jewellery or ceramics, but in the end,  I decided that much as I liked a few sculptures, my flight weight allowance wouldn't stretch to accomodate the weight.  Bob couldn't decide on which painting he liked best. Now, of course, we are both regretting not buying quite a few pieces.

 We found ourselves next at the Montparnasse flea market on Avenue Denfert-Rochereau, which has the most amazing mixture of things from sale: old books, furniture, African sculptures, stuffed animals, plants,paintings,  jewellery, tablecloths and more.  Again, we looked but did not buy, but it had me wondering how expensive it is to crate things to Australia.  I am quite sure there were the sort of treasures there that you see on the British Antiques Road Show.

We wandered back into the Cimitiere de Montparnasse because Bob wanted to see this grave:

 

I'm not sure whether this is the most romantic grave around, but it certainly is a novel one.

Then, the next stop was the Musee de L'Orangerie, which is next to the Place de la Concorde.  It contains two circular rooms  which have  the 8 massive water-lily paintings of Monet, "Nympheas" encircling the viewers.  They are very impressive and demonstrate just how much Monet's style had become impression meeting abstraction.  However, I am not realy a fan of Monet, so although I found them interesting, I was more taken with some of the other pieces of art which are displayed downstairs.  These included more of Monet's work,

 

("Argenteuil")

 

 but also that of artists.  These included Renoir,

("Fraises")

 

Cezanne,

("La Barque et les Baigneurs")

 

Gauguin,



("Paysage")

 

Picasso,



("Grande Baigneuse")

Matisse,

 

 

 

 

("Odalisque a la Culotte Grise")

Laurencin,

 

("Danseuses Espagnoles")



Derain,

 

 

("La Niece du Peintre Assise") 

Modigliani,

("Antonia")

Rousseau,

(" La Carriole du Pere Juniere")

Utrillo,

("Notre Dame")

 and Soutine,

("Le Garcon d'Etage")

("Les Maisons").

 

Outside the museum, we walked in the shade under the trees in between  the Tuileries gardens and the Place de la Concorde and discovered hands under trees:

 

 

 

 

The six sculptures set on granite  are  by Louise Bourgeois and are a wonderful installation.

We wandered along and discovered the Centre Georges Pompidou.

 I know it is supposed to look inspiring and modern but I just find it messy and unattractive.  Unfortunately, we did not have time to visit the Musee National d"Art Moderne, but we found the adjoining Place Georges Pompidou with its fun pool

 

 

its huge work of street art

 

 

and a pavement artist and a painter selling his work

 

 

 

 Then, it was on to The Forum des Hales - a shopping centre now, unfortunately.  I would have preferred to see the old market.

 

 

On the way to the Metro, we passed the Lego Store and glimpsed some of its sculptures in its windows.

 

 

Sadly, the time had come or us to go back to the hotel, collect our bags, and head for the airport. We definitely need to come back to France soon.