The Museum of Decorative Arts

After three weeks I can say with absolute conviction that, although French presidential campaigning may not be quite as abysmally stupid as its American counterpart, it is just as annoying. And as hard to get away from.

I spent the afternoon with Gabriella and Nancy at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs. Though the 9.50 Euro admission fee seemed steep initially, the place is enormous. And wonderful. We spent the best part of an hour in the "Jean-Louis Vuitton to Marc Jacobs" special exhibit (fun, but too packed with fashionistas, who are very rude gallery attendees, all elbows and getting in your line of vision). Then I set off in search of the Babar exhibit, but never made it, getting sidetracked time and time again by such wonders as the jewelry galleries, the Art Deco floors (two of them, with objets d'art and furniture to die for), the trompe l'oeil gallery, and so on.

At 16:00, after three hours, we staggered out into the sunlight and had lunch at a cafe in the Tuileries. Then Nancy tried to tempt me into breaking my lenten abstinence by bringing me to a place with macaroons she described in terms not suitable for a family blog. Fortunately, Satan was asleep on the job, and the place was closed. (Though I don't think my lenten resolution would have been seriously tested, as I don't really like macaroons).

It was a very pleasant afternoon. Here are just two of the pieces I coveted while in the museum (though photos were forbidden, I managed to take a few dozen anyway):