Follow Me
A letter of Petit Paris 05 ~ Centre Pompidou
Hi, Hi! “ After exploration around Pont Neuf, I was ready to start the journey of museums in Paris. First of all, what I needed to know was these two French words Entrée = Entrance Sortie = Exit Actually, I had a target on this trip - to find a painting in the Louvre, and to visit 6-8 museums if I could. Museums in Paris are huge; I may need to spend at least half a day inside, even without looking at the art pieces one by one in detail. Although I did reserve two & a half days for the Louvre, it turned out I spent only one whole day there. Why? I’ll let you know later, but first, let’s start our journey from the Centre Pompidou. ”
Living is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw, thinking about it... and remembering—because you can't take it in all at once.~Audrey Hepburn
* Walk with me *
Centre Pompidou, Paris Day 2: Sunny / Cold 0600 in the morning, after full charged last night, I am eager to start my museum adventure. But the Centre Pompidou opens at 1100, so I have plenty of time to walk from the hotel. To start my day with a simple breakfast of croissant + double espresso at Le Corona. Strolling around the street (Rue in French) nearby, it's always amazing to chase the shadows of sunlight, one of my favourite activities; it leads me to places out of my itinerary, and I don't mind getting lost...my addiction... Bonjour, l'étranger !
Centre Pompidou is a Modern & Contemporary Art museum. But when I enter the hall, the neon sign at the far end draws my attention because it looks a bit vintage :D - my other favourite.
I can access it quickly with my Museum Pass within minutes. While riding up the escalator towards the 5th floor, there is a spectacular outdoor view.
If you look further, a fountain full of colourful modern sculpture appears right below. Visitors gather around in the intertwined space of modern & classic.
My target is on the 5th floor, which exhibits collections of art pieces by artists between the years from 1905 to 1970. Picasso, Matisse, Kandinsky, Pollock, etc., are included & I have no excuse to skip any of those; time flies. The art pieces inside are really brilliant, but I am sorry that I can't post the photos here due to copyright issues. How about I show you this, an interior decor on the 4th floor, interesting, right? This will lead you to a workshop for teenagers aged 13-16, a dynamic & powerful visual.
Well, when I've finished visiting the floors further down and reached the G/F, it's almost 1500. My spirit is high in euphoria, but my body is exhausted. So...maybe it's time to sortie. Unfortunately, there is one regret this time. Due to the Pass restrictions, I can't access the 6th floor... But I'll be back, ha ha! Ah!...my fuel is here! Return to the shop on the street I passed by this morning. To me, the food is not important provided there is an espresso, but some other things always interest me and invite me to stay, guess what...?
Whether you are sitting at the terrace of a café or inside a small shop selling crêpes, like this, the delicate decoration will always amaze me.
🐦 This is an edited version of a ‘Behind The Scenes Blog Post’ of my ebook Petit Paris. Originally published on my official Author website as Centre Pompidou, Paris.
* A Poem for you *
(free verse) Edited version of an excerpt from the Book: Entrée Sortie
Entrée Sortie
Sunny day of feathery cloud Urge Entrée along lines & wires Ding Ding! Dong Dong! Fuse my thoughts Where are you from... Giant water pipes? Or Endless flowing of Contemporary & Modern muse ...Concerto à la mode? Let me hear Let me see Let me feel Follow thee... Till the sortie of my bouncing reverie
©Oiseau Distrait 2026
* Behind The Scenes *
Most of the museums I visited were located on the Right Bank, which seems within walking distance from my hotel. If you prefer to walk instead of taking the metro, like me, you need a pair of super comfortable shoes + a full breakfast. The most difficult decision is whether to have lunch while visiting. Even though I really need one, I always skip & replaced staying in a café with fast food or an apple. Because I know I will never want to leave a café once I enter... sadly, it'll drain my time in this situation. Visiting a museum alone is a joyful and indulgent activity. You don't have any time limit or need to concern other's issue, but of course, the core is that you enjoy being alone. To fully utilise my six (consecutive) days' museum pass, a detailed plan is a must. Sometimes, unexpected scenarios may interrupt my plan, such as a temporary shutdown for maintenance of a specific gallery, it did happen quite often. Let me tell you a secret, my original plan was to buy two Six-Day Passes, but I decided not to overestimate my power of perseverance. In fact, I did need time to contemplate the content, as the quote said. To start with my museum journey, I drew this map for you to follow my steps, be my guest & I hope you'll join me in the next letter. See you :D
🐦 This is an edited version of a ‘Behind The Scenes Blog Post’ of my ebook Petit Paris. Originally published on my official Author website as Follow Me & Entrée Sortie
Here it is. I hope you like our first museum walk. Stay tuned! À bientôt! ~Oiseau
🐦 If my words resonate & my picture echoes with you. Stay! As long as you please, be my guest.
🐦 If you like this post, you can Buy Me A Coffee to support my writing
