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16.4.60
Hi Darling and this time just you. We didn't do so much today that can be
described, so I can catch Mom + Dad up in my next letter, and just talk to you tonight.
First of all we didn't get going until after 12:30 because Sue slept until then and I wrote to
you and a postcard to the Gaws. We went first to the railroad terminal, using the
Metro, to change some more money into francs. Then we went to the American Embassy
building at Place de la Concorde to eat lunch in their restaurant. I had a tuna
sandwich, vanilla milkshake, and hot fudge sundae, all for 80c. Boy was it
a treat to ease some of the longing for American food. I've had lots of beef here in
Paris, since it's scarcer in Germany where you get pork cheaper.

After lunch we went to the Louvre gallery of impressionistic painting, located in
a separate building in a corner of the Tuileries gardens. It is truly a
beautiful collection, quite different from any other I've seen - it focuses closely
on one school of painting, has many, many pictures from each of its major artists,
even has some display material giving biography, history, analysis of techniques,
reactions of later schools, origins and extensions of influence, etc. The gallery
is thus designed to provide an understanding to the layman as well as expert.
There were several painters very extensively represented: Manet, Monet,
Van Gogh, Gaugain, Degas, Sisley, Cezanne, Pisarro, Renoir, Seurat,
Toulouse-Lautrec. It was a very fascinating and educational two hours - I
hope that sometime soon I can do some reading on painting from about 1850 to
the present, to add technical analysis to what ideas and impressions I've
formed as an amateur. It's pure [hole in page] [illegible] able to see the originals and
not just prints in a book.

At about 4:30 we left the museum to walk to the Hotel des Invalides,
where the Church of the Dome houses Napoleon's tomb. It's an impressive monument,
but to me a little too much majestic marble, without much human meaning. I'd rather
spend the time with the painting I think. From here we came back to the hotel;
went to a small restaurant across the street for dinner.

Tomorrow I think I'm going to wander off on my own, to see what I can.
Probably go to Notre Dame either for an early mass or at 10 am high mass, which
will no doubt be unbelievably crowded, perhaps impossible to get in. From then
on I'll just wander, use the metro when I want to move from section. And darling,
I look forward to this as sort of a time specially to think about you and us, to sort
of daydream over memories, see what I see as we might together. I miss
you a lot sweetheart, even in a big fascinating city like Paris. I bought a
couple of inexpensive prints of Paris street scenes today, and I wish you could have
been here to pick them with me; it's little things like that which are meant to be
shared with the one you love.

MAC is feeling somewhat better tonight, after another quiet day. Doctor says it may
be a mild case on mononeucleosis. Say, are you ever going to find time to answer
that letter? She asks occasionally why you haven't written. So cheat me a line, or
two sometime and write to others too. Your mother had the same complaint last quarter.
It's bedtime now sweetheart, and after only 4 hours this morning, I'm really ready!
I love you very deeply and fully - Happy Easter again!
Always + forever,
Your George