There may be gasps of horror from some art connoisseurs in the audience, but I enjoyed the Musee d'Orsay even more than The Louvre. Maybe it was the fact that we were among the first people through the doors this morning and had time on our own with the exhibits or the fact that the rain held the crowds back for awhile but it was a wonderful several hours and I got lost in the masterpieces surrounding me!
Again, advance tickets saved us from this...and it's only a partial view of the lineup!
I hated to gloat...but organization and planning ahead does have its advantages!
Musee d"Orsay was a former railway station and is the perfect setting for some truly incredible works of art. The massive domed ceiling almost dwarfs the statues and sculptures in the lower gallery!
I have always been drawn to the Impressionists and several floors of d'Orsay is dedicated to them. What a thrill!! The plein-air style(outdoors) deals with my favourite subject matters - flowers, mountains, trees, spectacular landscapes...! My camera has become my way of attempting to capture the beauty I see around me but I have always wished I could do so with paints. These artists have done that with such magnificent results! Renoir, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Monet, Manet...a veritable buffet of art...and we feasted insatiably! 
I've done lessons about pointillism at school using books and calendar pages as examples. To be standing in front of Seurats and Signacs and seeing the originals gave me goosebumps! And all I can give you is another picture!
Van Gogh's "Starry Night" from Arles brought back memories of my time there and to see artists' interpretations of places I had visited was surreal! 
Monet's colours and light and subject matter are even more vibrant "in person". Mom and Dad have a print of "Water Lilies" in their bedroom so were especially excited to see it.
"Poppies Blooming" was my "I wish I had done that" moment!
Degas' lithe sculptures 
and paintings of soft, graceful dancers ...
Toulouse-Lautrec's dancers brought the Moulin Rouge to life!
It was an amazing tour and seeing prints of these works in the future will always evoke memories of this wonderful experience.
