I never took an Art History class in college – and I’ve yet to see the Eiffel Tower in person – but on a random Sunday in April I felt as if I had purposefully arranged the entire day towards my own little slice of French heaven.

It started with breakfast at the French restaurant and bakery, Mademoiselle Paris, and ended with a walk through Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience.

Mademoiselle Paris is lovely. And I do mean LOVELY. I decided to treat myself to a chai latte and salmon Benedict atop a croissant for brunch. Sitting in the window bar seat, I could hardly believe how deliciously my day was beginning!

A beautifully balanced chai, hollandaise like velvet, and an addictively buttery croissant were the most extraordinary kickstart to my morning. It was the kind of meal in which you’d normally only eat half and then box the rest for a late afternoon snack, but I couldn’t put my fork down! After nibbling around the second poached egg until it finally broke, I decided to give in and enjoyed the entire flavor profile in front of me in one sitting. By the end, I may or may not have been closing my eyes and satisfyingly humming to myself with every bite.

After such a delightful brunch, I made my way to the uber-creative exhibit, Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience. Without knowing what I was really in for but feeling sufficiently French and fabulous, I walked into a large tent (50,000 square feet) and was told I could “linger” as long as I wished. The expectation was that the exhibit took about an hour – but I stayed for 2 hours and 15 minutes without hardly knowing it.

I’m not truly sure how to describe the exhibit itself. It’s almost something you have to see with your own eyes. Using cutting-edge projection technology, the entire room is able to transform into one of Van Gogh’s famous paintings and then just as easily, the colors blend and meld into one of his different works of art, while listening to an original score and brief narration about the artist.

I could’ve stayed for hours more. It was fascinating and full of awe. There were moments when the eye within one of Van Gogh’s self-portraits blinked at me, and other moments when his famous sunflowers fell out of the sky and onto the ground while seemingly floating on water beneath my feet. Over 300 works of art are featured, which is what keeps unfamiliar amateurs like me constantly smiling and marveling while walking every now and then to secure a different view.

If you get a chance to experience Beyond Van Gogh, I’d highly recommend making a point of doing so. Buttery croissants and delectable Benedicts are a bonus but certainly not necessary to benefit from an extraordinary day of art appreciation.

Au revoir!

— Carrie Cox, account executive