Day 7 in Paris: Parc Andre Citroen, Getting Lost in the 16th and Musee d'Orsay

This morning I walked around Parc Andre Citroen, a park on a site of a former Citroen automobile manufacturing plant, and also the same type of car that my bf drove (and hated) while we were in Nice.


Greenhouses.










I walked northeast to the Trocadero for a different view of the Eiffel. While I was trying to take one of my skillfully required yet lonesome looking self-portraits, a Chinese lady walked up next to me to pose and said, "Excuse me," and made a hand gesture shooing me away so I could get out of her shot. I moved away without saying anything but later thought, "Oh no she did-int!" head swerve, finger snap, head swerve, finger snap! It's a good thing that my brain processes anger very slowly.


My sweetie bf made me a binder full of recommended places to see and eat in all the cities I plan to visit and included a list of best boulangeries in Paris. After the Trocadero I wanted to look for Boulangerie Bechu, which was listed by Travel+Leisure as the best place for pain au chocolat. All I had to do was walk north through the 16th arrondisement.

The 16th is known for its ornate 19th century apartment buildings and wealthy residents. (The song You Fancy starts playing in my head.) So I was walking north when I come to this annoying circle that splits in 9 different streets. I walked around the circle to try to continue on the same street that I previously was on but I couldn't find the same street name. So I just chose a street and hoped that it would take me to my destination. (My map only had the names of major streets.)

I chose the wrong street. Instead of going north, I walked to the far west.


But I finally found Boulangerie Bechu, and the chocolate pistachio croissant was worth getting lost! The pain au chocolat was okay. I still think Patisserie Claude in West Village makes the best.


Satisfied from the croissants, I went to Musee d'Orsay, a museum displaying collections of art from the mid 1800s to the early 1900s and which is in the former Orsay railroad station. (No photos are allowed inside.) The hall of the station is completely open and exhibits sculptures in the center of the room and on the perimeter of the hall are the paintings and other pieces of work. The second floor has terraces all around for a great view of the hall.

I saw impressive works of art by Monet, Cezanne, van Gogh and Gauguin. Besides the self-portrait of van Gogh, the most memorable piece was of a woman's vajayjay. The woman clearly has never had a trim in her life. The painting, titled The Origin of the World, was by an artist that I haven't heard of before--Gustave Courbet. He led the Realist movement in 19th century French painting. The painting was quite realistic.


I'm not sick of looking at the Seine yet.