Monet's Water Lily Paintings

I started my day with a walk through the Tuleries Gardens to the Orangerie Museum. This small museum holds the works of several French Impressionist, but the main reason to come here are the Claude Monet Water Lily Murals. This eight panel set is housed in a pair of oval rooms with natural light flooding in from skylights.

This is the perfect setting to experience these stunning paintings. Entering the first gallery through a stone archway, you are completely surrounded by the changing light and swirling colors of Monet’s water garden. Each of the two rooms holds four panels. There is an oval bench in the center of each room for visitors to sit and contemplate the paintings. Monet’s idea was to install these works in an oval to encompass the viewer in a sensually enveloping space. The aim, he said was to supply “the illusion of an endless whole, of water without horizon or bank. To give you some idea of the value of these works, one of Monet’s paintings from this series sold for 18.5 million pounds at a Sotheby’s auction in London last year.

I Regretfully, I leave this lovely meditative space and catch the metro out to the site.

I was hoping to catch the end of the mixed doubles final, but Bob Bryan and Victoria Azarenka have won the title in one hour and seven minutes. This makes Bob the only American male to take home a trophy from Roland Garros in 2008. Well done Bob! At least the U.S. didn’t get completely closed out.

Next up, Nadal Djokovic. Even though Novak is very tough and playing well, Rafa, has been unbelievable for the whole tournament, so it’s no surprise that the King of Clay is through to the final on Sunday. This win gives Nadal the chance to be the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1981 to win four consecutive French Open titles.

The second match looks to be more interesting. Federer is playing the wild French showman, Gael Monfils. The stadium is full and you can feel the anticipation in the air. Federer has been to the final here but clay is not his best surface, and Monfils is on a roll. Unfortunately that roll ended in four sets, so we will have a … surprise, surprise,.. Federer, Nadal final.

Last but not least, a few words about the Media Party last night. If the measure of a good party is the condition of the participants the following day, then this was a huge success. Everyone is dragging today. This is a party everyone looks forward to, offering media members a chance to relax, have some fun and mix with the colleagues they have been working side by side with for the last 12 days.

Champagne, Mojito, French Wine, good food, music by a live band, dancing, gift of Chocolate,

what more could you ask for?

One idea I loved, and am going to steal for one of my party’s was a hot chicken dish served in little cellophane bags that you slit open and ate directly out of the bag. The French are SOOOOO inventive.

I’ve had a busy day, and I got very little sleep last night, so this is it for today. Tune in tomorrow for the women’s final and more adventures in Paris.