The Art of Paris

So today I didn't have any classes and decided to go to Musee D'Orsay with just me and my iPod. This museum  houses some seriously famous art, including many of Monet's works as well as Van Gogh's self portrait. Getting into the museum for free was a serious perk because I didn't feel the need to see absolutely everything or try and "get my money's worth."

Degas sculpture. Favorite piece in the museum,
but I did not take this picture because they told me
not to :(

The museum seemed very crowded, especially around the more popular pieces, which made me feel a little claustrophobic in the small dark rooms that the paintings are kept in. I also noticed how little of the art I actually liked. No, I am not saying it is bad art, it just did not speak to me in any way. I had that feeling of, "oh another painting of people in dresses." It really made me think of what each person thinks of as art and how many different kinds of art there are in this amazing city.

The art of the perfect croissant: I can say I have tried many croissants in the pursuit of the perfect one with the right amount of butter and flaky-ness. Bakers here take a lot of pride in their work and what they serve to the public. Every one says they have the best baguette in all of Paris. There is an art form to baked goods that I have never seen anywhere else.

The art of taking people's money: Pick pocketing is extremely common in Paris and there are even schools on the outskirts of Paris that teach it to young children who then go out and try their new tricks on unsuspecting tourists. This art has led to another art- the art of protecting your wallet without making yourself look like a tourist.

The art of love: It is the city of love, and Paris takes this very seriously. You can't hide from love here, it's everywhere-on the metro, on the sidewalk, at the cafes. Love is in the air and its in the streets and its on the brain. Even on the bridge Pont Des Arts there is love. People come to affix the bridge with locks inscribed with their name and their amours name. It is supposed to symbolize that your love for each other is locked and will never stop. The bridge has become its own piece of functional art that I find quite nice.

Just a few of the many locks on Pont Des Arts

I may not be an art major, but I know what art is for me in Paris, it is going to the boulangerie, ordering pain au chocolat and sitting somewhere with a view of the Eiffel Tower.

The Eiffel Tower+The Seine=pure magic

What do you consider to be art?