If someone told me just a few weeks ago that I would be staying in Paris soon, I'd have burst into laughter. Yet in the second week of the Easter holidays I found myself wandering the streets of Paris and exploring two of its numerous museums.
The trip itself wasn't a walk in the park, as everything has to be planned, taking into consideration Sasha's needs. His autism means hightened anxiety, even with medication and behavioural techniques for managing stress.
After a long discussion with my husband, we thought it might be a good idea to expose Sasha to some new experiences and sights, since we tend to do the same things, and visit the same places with him.
Overall, it was a positive experience for him, though I was always on edge, not able to relax for a minute, concerned how our boy will feel and behave.
Eddie and I visited two wonderful museums, Petit Palais and Musée Carnavalet. My husband was a real trooper. While we explored the museums, he took Sasha to cafes and accompanied him on long walks.
It's been thirty years since I first arrived to Paris, wide-eyed and elated. A total innocent abroad. I loved visiting Le Louvre, Musée de Cluny and Notre-Dame then. I will always cherish the memories of those distant days, when I was young and carefree, and seeing everything through rose-coloured glasses.
Before our trip, we were searching online for smaller museums, that would have a cafe, possibly a garden or park nearby, where Sasha could escape if he found it too much of a sensory overload being in the museums.
Petit Palais and Musée Carnavalet suited our plans perfectly. Both happened to be great choices, and I cannot say which one Eddie and I enjoyed more. They are both splendid, both worth visiting, and I'm so glad I had a chance to see their collections.
Musée Carnavalet is a museum of history of Paris. Spreading over two town buildings - Hôtel Carnavalet and Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau - it houses an amazing collection of artefacts reflecting the history of Paris, from prehistory to modern day.
The collection consists of nearly 625,000 works: paintings, sculpture, drawings, models, photos, furniture and more.
It's wonderful that at least 10% of the works are displayed at children's eye level, so that they can enjoy the intricate models and displays.
As you enter the museum, the first rooms show an array of shop signs to reflect the city's heritage.
As Sasha wasn't that interested in the museum, we searched for the museum cafe first, going across the inner courtyard. It was a bit chilly but at least it didn't rain. We found a couple of tables in the corner, away from the other people.
The choices are quite limited, if you only want a drink and a little bite. Prices are like this: cafe creme - 5 euros, tea - 6, diet coke - 5.50, juice - 6.50, Le Big Cookie - 5 euros (and that is just one cookie).
We left Sash and my husband to enjoy a bit of sunshine, and began the tour of the museum.
The basement rooms are dedicated to prehistory, antiquity and the period from the Middle Ages to the mid-16th C.
It's impossible to cover everything in a short blog post, so I will highlight a few of our personal favourites, and those historical artefacts that we found fascinating.
I've always found the story of Hėloϊse and Abelard's doomed love affair captivating. At the museum you can see the heads and hands of the effigies of the tragic lovers.
Où est la très sage Heloïs,
Pour qui fut chastré et puis moyne
Pierre Esbaillart à Sainct-Denys?
Pour son amour eut cest essoyne.
This is a fragment of a big mural as you climb the stairs. The murals by Paolo Antonio Brunetti used to belong to the Duc de Luynes' townhouse, which was demolished in 1900. The frescoes were saved and re-assembled in the Musée Carnavalet in 1909-11.
Portrait of Francis I, who loved arts and fashion, and who invited Leonardo da Vinci to his court. Leonardo brought Mona Lisa with him, which the king has acquired, and this iconic artwork can now be seen in the Louvre.
There are big rooms, showing the interiors of the Parisian homes of the nobility, with the exquisite woodwork and rich silks.
I loved seeing the portrait of Madame Recamier by François Gérard in the 19C rooms. I've seen her portrait many times in art history books, and was thrilled to see the painting in real life. She is absolutely stunning. You can almost see her lips moving mischievously.
Juliette Recamier was a Parisian socialite, who was married at the age of 15 to someone thirty years older than her. She was intelligent, quick-witted, and her beauty inspired many artists of her day.
The French Revolution takes a central stage in the museum. Carnavalet has the world's largest collection of artefacts and objects dating between 1789-1799. It covers a vast selection of historical posters, pamphlets, paintings, sculpted busts, flags, furniture, weapons, models of The Bastille and guillotine, medals etc.
It is sobering to walk from portrait to portrait and read the short biographies, learning that this person was executed, and that one, and that one. Terribles times, tragic deaths, rivers of blood. All in the name of freedom and equality.
The furniture below belonged to Marie Antoinette, when she was a prisoner at the Tour du Temple. The bed looks quite petite. I even checked how tall Marie Antoinette was (168cm, if you're curious). I'm the same height, and I would find the bed short.
This faience ecritoire (writing case with the ink stand) with a motto "Vivre Libre ou Mourire (live free or die)" circa 1791 caught my eye.
The bust of Napoleon by Charles-Louis Corbet.
The room with this beautiful window is dedicated to the years 1830-50. There is a superb portrait of Franz Liszt on display, and other romantic artwork.
George Fouquet asked the famous artist Alphonse Mucha to design the interior for his boutique at 6 Rue Royale, and what a splendid piece of art is this shopfront! So flamboyant and extravagant.
We loved Marcel Proust's re-created bedroom, with its simple bed and comfy armchair. You can sit on a bench next to it and listen to the extracts from his famous novel, In Search of Lost Time.
Crib of the Imperial Prince Louis-Napoleon. It is very grand, but doesn't look particularly comfy for a baby.
A pretty fan with giraffes.
In a hurry, I didn't take a snap of the name of this portrait of a mime artist. The reverse search of the image doesn't bring any results. If you do know the name of the artist and the mime, please let me know.
Commedia dell'Arte was very popular in Paris from the late 16th C. These are painted wooden sculptures from Dominique Séraphin's theatre. The painting in the background shows the main characters of the Commedia dell'Arte: Harlequine, Colombina, Pulcinella, etc.
By this point of the tour we were hastening our pace, as my husband texted me, asking how long we were planning to explore. I wish we had more time.
This striking portrait of Juliette Gréco, French singer and actress, renown for her bohemian lifestyle, and being an inspiration of the song Michelle by the Beatles.
If you find yourself in Paris and want to escape the crowds of Le Louvre, Musée Carnavalet is worth visiting.
It is free, and you don't have to book in advance. I hope to explore it in-depth one day, and let's not wait another thirty years until I visit Paris again.
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