A Timed Entry Weekend

This weekend I traveled to Paris. I know what you’re thinking with plane travel taking a backseat this season, but I journeyed to Degas’s Paris … curtesy of the Smithsonian. A few of us were thrilled to receive notices from local museums offering timed tickets to several exhibitions. It’s great to be out an about even for a few hours so, on Friday afternoon I headed to the National Gallery of Art to see Degas at the Opéra. 

My photo of the Paris Opéra taken at sunset from our hotel room in January and a Photochrom Zurich, Paris, Opéra, from Souvenirs de Paris, c. 1889–1990, National Gallery of Art Library, Washington, Department of Image Collections

In January I was in Paris and visited the Musée d’Orsay to see this same exhibition. You wouldn’t believe how crowded the gallery was and how difficult it was to maneuver or see the works on display. Fast forward six months to the luxury of “timed passes” and to have only a limited number of people in each room.

This exhibition is curated to highlight Degas fascination with the Paris Opéra. As a music lover and regular visitor to performances, his range of media includes paintings, pastels, drawings, prints and sculptures. He explored all of the public spaces surrounding the opéra such as the auditorium; stage and boxes, the private boxes for the elite, along with dance studios and backstage scenes,

Next, we were off to China for a timed dinner at Graces Mandarin in the National Harbor.

Here we were able to enjoy a refreshing snack, while reviewing our notes and photos from the Degas exhibit.

There “salt and pepper” chicken wings are fabulous and the National Harbor rice is a meal in itself. The rice is loaded with scallops, shrimp, Berkshire pork, green beans, onions and butternut squash…. delicious!!!

Graces Mandarin
188 Waterfront St.
Oxon Hill, Maryland

Travel stylishly with timed tickets!!
Kathleen