The city of love, fine food, art and stunning scenery #2

Part Two: Musée D’Orsay

When an art-loving friend of mine told me it was one of the finest museums in the world, I was undeniably excited at the prospect of paying the former railway station a visit.

I fully believed him when he said the temptation of Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Cezanne, Gauguin and Degas all under one roof would whet the appetite of even the most hardened and cynical art critic.

As a casual art fan living in Madrid I’d frequently meander down to the triangle of museums proclaiming to showcase some of the finest works in the world.

At the Prado you’re treated to the classics of El Greco, Goya and Velazquez, the Reina Sofia’s stand-out piece is Picasso’s Guernica, while the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza holds the keys to Caravaggio, Rubens and Rembrandt.

Combined, the “Madrid 3″ pull as great a punch in terms of extraordinary art as any set of museums in the world.

But as an extremely proud half-Spaniard it pains me to admit the D’Orsay is one of the finest collections I’ve ever seen contained in a single building.

There’s a wealth of old, new, borrowed and blue – with the turning of every corner presenting another classic canvas I’d previously seen in books or on television.

I also realised Bristol-born Banksy’s inspiration stemmed from the galleries when I spotted Jean-Francois Millet’s The Gleaners.

The week before I’d been at his “vs Bristol Museum” exhibition where one of his prize pieces is a cut out version of Millet’s work.

The setting within which the magnificent collection is presented is almost as enticing as the works themselves as the former Gare D’Orsay harks back to its previous profession with inscriptions of the destinations thousands of Parisiens would have travelled to on their holidays.

My 3 favourite Musee D’Orsay paintings :