Bonjour Paris!

To say that this City is nothing like Spain would be an understatement. To say it's like no other City in the World doesn't BEGIN to describe it. So where to start?

I spent one week in Paris 8 years ago and KNEW that only giving ourselves another week now would be rushing it, but "Hey", we DO have to make it to Asia at SOME point if for no other reason than that our finances wouldn't be able to withstand a trip of the length we've embarked on. So here we are. Paris is one of those mega-cities, like Rome for example, with so many people and so much history it could take you a lifetime to fully explore. With just a week, we opted to get a room in a central location, La Marais, and head a different direction every day.

Day One began by searching for an English-language bookstore so we could buy a French phrase book. That brought us to Jardin des Tuileries which sits at a fantastic intersection with views of the Eiffel Tower, Petite + Grand Palais, Louvre and an Egyptian obelisk. The sun had broken through the clouds and was glinting off the Eiffel in the distance, beckoning us. We continued, over the stunning Pont (Bridge) Alexandre III, past the commanding Les Invalides. We picked up sandwiches to go at a wonderful Boulangerie on Rue St. Dominique and ate them in the park as we gazed in awe at THE symbol of Paris. Continuing on, around and under it, up to the Trocadero to gaze down on it. It´s an elegant structure that punctures the predominantly low, level skyline, soaring skyward. What a wonder this must have been when it was built 1889! We had a long walk home from there as evening was coming on, and we stopped at a cafe en-route for a nice glass of Bordeaux.

Day Two started with a strong cup of coffee and an AMAZING almond croissant while sitting on steps across from the Pompidou. Internet for a while before heading over to Musee dÓrsay. What a collection, and what a BUILDING! I had many favorites, but THE highlights for me were both the Van Gogh self portraits and a couple of his other works, DESERVEDLY famous. What movement and expression of emotion... What SKILL! Went to a movie theater that evening and FINALLY saw Capote. Excellent film. Crazy that the museum was 7 Euro and the cinema was 9.50 Euro. Shows the value that Parisians place in making art accessible to people (Under 18 is free).

Day Three was another big walking day packed with Parks and panoramic vistas. Beginning in La Marais, through the Bastille, North along Beaumarchais where we bought two cheeses at a farmer´s market, up into the hilly + flower-filled Parc de Belleville where we feasted in the sun upon whole-wheat sourdough bread packed with walnuts, the cheeses we had bought and a tasty Cote du Rhone while gazing out at the city spread before us - Magical! Then into Parc Des Buttes-Chaumont with it´s Pagoda, further North to Parc de la Villette where we turned back South to stroll along the Canal de LÓurco back towards home. That night we headed up to Montmartre for views from the Sacre Couer and good people watching.

Day Four was a bit rainy so we hit the Pompidou that afternoon for the Morphosis architecture exhibit. For those who aren´t familiar with Thom Mayne´s work, here´s a link - www.morphosisarchitecture.com He´s also the architect for the new SF Federal Building. Wandered around bars in the hood that night to check out the Saturday night scene.

Day Five was Easter Sunday and we started it with a bit of Mass at Notre Dame, complete with the choir singing, then headed over for a couple peaceful hours at Musee Rodin. After, we took the Metro out to La Defense. The area is pretty futuristic in contrast to the rest of Paris as they´ve grouped together many of the steel + glass skyscrapers and you look down the wide Avenue Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe and beyond. It´s SO different that it has the feel of having stepped onto a movie set. At the center of it all is a 35-story office building whose square center has been cut out in modern mimicry of the Arc. That evening we walked around the Luxenbourg Gardens and Jean Nouvel´s (also of the Torre Agbar in Barcelona - www.jeannouvel.com) Foundation Cartier, admiring them from the street as by this point everything was closed. Back at the room, we feasted on our typical bedtop picnic of fantastic breads, cheeses and wine.

Day Six we went back to the Trocadero for a peek into an exhibit at Musee l´Homme called Peoples - Moving black + white´s of people in conflict/crisis from around the globe. Another picnic with views of the Eiffel before getting in line to climb it. We took our time over the next 4 hours exploring the different levels and views as we went up and up to the peak. Watching the light change from day to night and all the lights come on in the City below. As of the Millenium 2000, they installed 1000´s of light-emitting diodes which sequence like camera flashes and go off every hour a 10-minute freakshow of light. We were able to appreciate this while on the midway viewing platform, going down the stairs, and later back up at the Trocadero. It´s pretty wild, but the moment of transition is the best!

Day Seven... stay tuned for next post.

Here's a "link" to more photos