Monday, August 29, 2005

Ekr explained the corrective eye surgery I just went through. Since I've been wearing glasses since I was five (and had limited use of contacts because of allergies) this perfect vision feels quite different to me -- perhaps my own self-image was more tied into the wearing of glasses than I had realized. Anyway I'm very happy and periodically almost giddy at this improvement.

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Philippe said that the CalDAV panel at OSCon was full of very interested people. I'm quite gratified and quite sorry that I couldn't be there (at 6pm PST I was fast asleep recovering from meetings lasting from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm in Paris time yesterday).

Philippe also pointed to this blog commenting on OSCon, CalDAV and various calendar product and server providers.

Monday, August 01, 2005

My ideal cultural week (or so) in Paris
- 1 day in 7e, up Eiffel Tower to see whole city, then walk around Invalides and École Militaire (would have been even nicer to go into Army Museum)
- 1 day bike tour of Giverny and Monet's garden, being restored and regrown the way Monet grew it in order to paint it. Interior of Monet's house also fantastic due to the dozens of Japanese prints that influenced his aesthetic.
- 1 day Louvre to focus on the grand gallery, 19th centure and famous works of art I hadn't seen yet. Favourites include Ingrès and David's portraits of women.
- 1 day Centre George Pompidou, include main collection and special expositions (this time: Africa Remix)
- 1 day Versailles, include Grand and Petit Trianon as well as main buildings by going for the day pass
- 1 day Musée D'Orsay -- no, make that two, there's so much to see here and I really wanted to go slowly due to my interest in the impressionists and symbolists
- 1 day seeing the Galliera de Mode (not very big) and, inspired, go clothes shopping
- See the end of the Tour de France -- bonus!
- Pop into Musée Cluny for medieval textiles, tapestries, roman baths, stained glass and other cool stuff
- Every day: tiny cups of espresso at street-side cafés, baguettes, cheese, olives, pastries, and sometimes crêpes, ice cream, mussels, frites, duck, foie gras, prosciutto and rocket (roquette) salad

What I still wish I could do:
- Musée Marmottan has still more Monet works (than can be seen at Giverny or Musée d'Orsay) and it's on Bois de Boulogne which features in so many history fact and fiction books
- Rivoli Museums
- Musical Instrument museum
- Chartres
- Orangerie museum in Tuileries, Tuileries gardens themselves
- Grand Palais and Petit Palais
- More time browsing books and shops on left bank

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