Breakfast here was the same as at the other K&K hotel in London. However, I was surprised to hear, "Rocky, is that you?". It seems Dan Lahr, an orthopaedist from Rockville is here visiting his daughter who is on her Junior year. Nice to chat and catch up.
We met with Annie and proceeded to the Musee D'Orsay for a big exhibit on Van Gogh. This was actually a double exhibit, as it was predicated by a book on Van Gogh by Antonin Artaud "The Man Suicided by Society". Artaud was also mentally ill, and objected to the way Van Gogh was perceived. The most haunting phrase accompanying the art was , "No one has ever written or painted, sculpted, modeled, built or invented, except to get out of hell". I was struck by the multiple self portraits with his increasingly haunted face and wild brush strokes. I was also reminded of my mother in law's comments about going to an art museum, "it's like visiting an old friend". Van Gogh was an old friend with a wonderful eye for color and movement.
We went on to an exhibit by Gustave Dore from the mid 1800s. He was a master illustrator of everything from current events (think the New Yorker cartoons) to Shakespeare, Cervantes, the Bible and more. Unbelievably prolific.
After lunch at the museum, we went to the Impressionists. Again, Mickie's old friends. Lovely.
A nap in the afternoon, and dinner at Le Rotonde, a recently rebuilt restaurant in the neighborhood. Ann was going to order the onion soup, but Annie said, "No! You mustn't have anything so pedestrian!" We explained it was considered more luxurious for us, and Ann finally prevailed. I had the Sea Bass, which was better after it came hot the second time around. Dessert was a wonderful concoction of rhubarb, custard, and raspberry syrup.
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
We met with Annie and proceeded to the Musee D'Orsay for a big exhibit on Van Gogh. This was actually a double exhibit, as it was predicated by a book on Van Gogh by Antonin Artaud "The Man Suicided by Society". Artaud was also mentally ill, and objected to the way Van Gogh was perceived. The most haunting phrase accompanying the art was , "No one has ever written or painted, sculpted, modeled, built or invented, except to get out of hell". I was struck by the multiple self portraits with his increasingly haunted face and wild brush strokes. I was also reminded of my mother in law's comments about going to an art museum, "it's like visiting an old friend". Van Gogh was an old friend with a wonderful eye for color and movement.
We went on to an exhibit by Gustave Dore from the mid 1800s. He was a master illustrator of everything from current events (think the New Yorker cartoons) to Shakespeare, Cervantes, the Bible and more. Unbelievably prolific.
After lunch at the museum, we went to the Impressionists. Again, Mickie's old friends. Lovely.
A nap in the afternoon, and dinner at Le Rotonde, a recently rebuilt restaurant in the neighborhood. Ann was going to order the onion soup, but Annie said, "No! You mustn't have anything so pedestrian!" We explained it was considered more luxurious for us, and Ann finally prevailed. I had the Sea Bass, which was better after it came hot the second time around. Dessert was a wonderful concoction of rhubarb, custard, and raspberry syrup.
Stephen J. Rockower, MD
Sent from my iPad
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