Going to Museums, Sunday, 6 December

The Pompidou Centre

What a day! It is the first Sunday of the month and most of the major museums are open and free. We had decided to go to the Pompidou Centre which was showing the early twentieth century impressionists. So, on a cold and wet day we battled our way across Paris and it was quite apparent that everyone seemed intent on doing exactly what we had planned.

After several changes of Metro, we finally arrived and discovered that because of a strike the museum was closed. Undeterred, we got back on the Metro and headed for the Orangerie to see the "images of children" exhibition. The museum was open but the line was very long and they were admitting people in groups of ten or so. We waited for a while but it had begun to rain again and the line was moving at a snail's pace so we packed it in.

By now we were soaking wet and felt that some sort of treat - or at least recompense - was in order so we went to Angelina's, a sumptuous tea rooms, on the rue de Rivoli. Apparently everyone else in Paris had the same idea as the line stretched down the rue de Rivoli for what appeared to be miles although probably not quite that far.

We headed back to W. H. Smith's where we had discovered that they carried vegemite in their little grocery section. That provided the warm glow that was needed to continue onward. We went from there to the Place Vendome to look at the Ritz Hotel and all the very famous jewellery shops in this most elegant square. Surprisingly the Christmas decorations were nowhere near as nice as in many other sections of Paris. And then it started raining again. Throwing up our hands in despair and muttering French obscenities we worked our way back to the Metro, got out at Abbesses, rode the funicular up to the Place du Tertre and discovered some delightful Christmas markets which were free. Spirits revived, it was now nightfall, so we returned home.

Decorations at the Ritz

If there is a moral to this story, it is not to rely on the first Sunday of the month for museum going!