Or maybe I should say street parties. We only saw the one nearest our hotel, at Invalides and the Pont Alexandre III bridge, but they were all over the city.
Nuit Blanche is when museums are open all night and the streets are filled with musical performances, performance art, art installations and people.
Oh, tons of people. Rick said hundreds of thousands. I think he was overestimating for our immediate area (definitely thousands, though), but in terms of Paris proper and all the celebrations, that's probably an underestimate!
When we came out of the metro our ears were hit by loud music and often flashing lights. We saw street yoga, funky art installations and a mass of lights and people.
We decided we'd hit the nearby Petit Palais, which was open. I was glad we did.
Built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris, this art museum is an elegant Beaux-Arts style building with stately columns and elegant ceilings. It is across the street from Paris' Grand Palais and the steps leading to its entrance are impressive.
One of my favorite elements of this building was a beautiful courtyard. Because we were there in the evening the photos don't do it justice. Pairs of columns flank the courtyard and I suspect more than a few visitors take a break from the museum to enjoy it.
The ceilings were works of art in themselves.
Even the corridors had a striking element of grandeur and simplicity.
The exhibition space for the sculpture expo by Paul Roussel was striking with high ceilings and wonderful light.
I really liked his work. These life-sized statues spoke to me with their depiction of simple daily tasks, such as a mother and child...
...and a woman with a book.
A wonderful video showed how the exhibition was prepared.
It also includes a good deal of two dimensional art.
I regret we didn't see more of this beautiful spot. Chalk it up to a long day and very bad feet.
Besides, we had big plans for the next day!
And my feet were DONE!
