Paris dispatch

Today is our final day in Lutetian bliss, courtesy of the hotel "Pavilion de la Reine, on the elegant Place des Vosges.

On Monday we visited the Pompidou Centre, having not been there since 1986. I had forgotten what a tremendous collection of 20th century art they have there, but today there was a very special treat in addition to the permanent collection: a major retrospective of Matisse, featuring the biggest collection of the master’s works in one place ever gathered. The exhibition is shortly travelling to America, though sadly not to the UK, which is a terrible shame.

Tuesday saw us at Versailles, which was awful, not because of the place itself, which is unarguably stunning, but because of the shameful cramming of humanity conspired at by authorities more interested in ticket sales than comfort, or even safety. Crowds of people processed from room to room in a hideous rugby scrum which made it impossible to see anything properly. At one point, a Danish schoolteacher became so obsessed by the possibility of losing touch with her charges, she started ramming people with her body. But I was trained in crowd survival techniques by watching Liverpool play several times and just rammed straight back at her. You should have seen the horrified and wounded expression on her face, all outraged innocence (and slightly bruised arms, I imagine). I don’t like being barged aside like something less than human.

Yesterday, by contrast, saw one of the most pleasant museum experiences I have ever had, at the Petit Palais, repository of many glass designs by the Art Nouveau master, Emile Galle. Free, not crowded, beautiful exhibits in a stunning setting, this for me represents museum visiting at its best.

Today it was the Rodin museum, also good, though the dark statues, shown in flat, overcast skies, appeared, to my weakened eyes at least, almost in silhouette, which took much away from their undoubted grandeur.

However, like London, I suspect Paris will take many more visits before I exhaust its wonders. Vive la France!