Musee D'Orsay/rainy Champs walk

The group is up and at ‘em early in the morning because they are

Oscar doing Buddha belly in his pants from Cambodia

doing several museums today.  Oscar and I have a more leisurely sleep in, breakfast which I go down and get because Oscar doesn’t wake up before it would most likely be over, and then we stroll to the Musee D’Orsay hoping to run 

bored by a huge masterpiece by Courbet

  into the group.  We spend about an hour in the museum with Oscar running up and down the ramps in the middle of train station that this used to be before some guards want me to be closer to the stroller in case someone takes something from it.  I figured that making 

 sure Oscar didn’t touch some priceless work of art was more important than the stroller that’s just minding it’s on business and in sight.  Finally, I see some of the group and John at the top of the walkway so that we’re able to meet up and check out the new 

my favorite Monet series

 Impressionism wing that they have built here since the last time that we were here.  It’s stunningly beautiful.  These works of art are always great, but the way that they have them displayed on the black walls really makes the images pop out at you.  They are in bigger

I love the framing of this one

 rooms together too, so you get a sense of the grandeur of the whole movement when you’re not having to go in and out of little rooms to see them all.  John gets caught in his “Dr. Chew” shirt which is a take on Chewbacca from Star Wars dressed up like Dr. Who by a geek docent that wants to

 discuss all the changes with the new movies that are coming out.  He actually had to have a student ask him a question in order to escape, but I think that he enjoyed having someone else appreciate his shirt.  Oscar doesn’t like being in the stroller again, but is happy to see the 

students and wants high fives and smiles all around.  He needs a nap, but is fighting it something fierce and becomes a bear when John and I are trying to eat lunch at a café down the street.  Oscar and I are going to walk toward the Tuileries and leave John to catch the kids

 and  do the Pompidou center.  I don’t have to see that museum again and I had heard about a big store on the Champs, so we start heading there.  Of course, it starts to rain when Oscar finally falls asleep and I’m nowhere near any shelter.  The store that I wanted to go to is

 closed on Sundays, so I can’t even get shelter there when I get there.  I had passed Alexander Bridge that would have led to the hotel and thought about just getting back, but decided to persevere, which bit me in the ass.  So, now we’re wet, cold and Oscar has

 woken up of course and now I’m just trying to find a bus stop that would lead anywhere near the hotel.  I have metro tickets, but it is prohibitive with a stroller.  The stairs will kill you.  So, we find a bus and hop on and return to L’invalides at least which is just a short walk 

 to the hotel.  Back in the room, it’s time for baths to warm up and a better nap.  When I try to branch out and do something new, I get kicked down by the weather now.  When John and Rachel return we finally get to have a French dinner.  We spend a couple of hours having courses and drinks with duck au

in front of daddy's favorite painter

poivre for me and steak for John and Rachel.  I got some French Onion Soup and John got his escargot and some new beers on tap.  I got a Kir and Rachel got the “house” Champagne.  Yes, in France, there is a house champagne at some places as if you’re supposed to have one like having a house wine.  It 

likes running up and down the stairs

was a great night that made up for some of the rain today.  The waiter entertained Oscar when he got fussy, gave him high fives and he ate a ton of French fries.  I’ve noticed this about Europe, they do try to keep your kid happy in the restaurant.  One, they’re okay with you bringing a kid and then they actively try to interact with them.  Oscar got several high fives and a kiss on the head and a hug from the bartender when we left, but I guess they’re used to having to entertain kids when you eat for so long.  I like it, but we have a seen and not heard policy in America that we follow pretty strictly I guess.