Penultimate weekend...

After a breakfast of fresh baguette, butter and jam (soon to be a distant memory!) and the obligatory bits of Saturday morning shopping we hopped on the metro and went to Porte d'Orée where we first admired the lavish outside of the Immigration Museum before joining the queue to get in.   The palace was built as a monument to colonialism and the lavishly carved front 'celebrates' the people and resources that France plundered in 'the good ole days!'  Now it is the museum of immigration celebrating the influx of people from other parts of the world - and painting a positive picture of the value of immigration.  A neat twist.

Clever use of bottles for the 'sea'

Intriguing seating rising from panels in the floor

The ceiling

One panel in the immigration display seemed particularly downbeat -  the 'hostile' France of the title refers to the French people of whom "more and more" "are opening up to diversity".  Not that we necessarily do better but it does illustrate what a burden newcomers face no matter where they are from or their reasons for coming.

So after the serious bit, we went downstairs to the aquarium and dodging pushchairs and toddlers and the unmistakeable odour of nappies, enjoyed the fish and the corals...

Seen in China Town on the way home...

Sunday was bright and sunny and warm-ish.  We took the train to St. Germain-en-laye and wandered into the Chateau and admired the courtyard and the chapel.  Unfortunately I left my phone at home so these pictures are pinched from the web. 

Chapel

Courtyard

View of Paris

Paris

The Chateau

Les derniers petits plaisirs

At the weekend we took a bus ride to the 14th arrondissment and explored an area of small houses in narrow streets. Many of them artists studios.   Of course they would look slightly more interesting in the summer when all the creepers are in leaf and the sun is out to brighten the colours of the front doors.   This was another walk from the website I used on my last exploration of houses and the pictures on that blog are much better than mine - again.   We had coffee in a pleasant bistro where a lot of people were enjoying brunch and we returned there at the end of the walk and had salade Lyonnaise, a delicious mix of salad, sautee potatoes, sausage, chorizo and mushrooms....and a couple of glasses of wine.   At the next table a family party suddenly sang 'Appy Bir-day to you' and the people at the next table sensing our puzzlement told us that the French always sing Happy Birthday in English!  Who knew!

Today I had an outing with the 'club' to the Musée Zadkine where we had the most impressive guide - interesting, animated, clear etc  (all in French) - and learned about the sculpter and his life and work in a delightfully laid out and tiny museum and garden.  A thoroughly enjoyable experience and many beautiful things to see.