We were only in Paris three days but boy did we pack a lot in. As I metioned in my last post about Paris, we walked everywhere, same as Rome. I love walking around a city...you learn so much more about its people and its secrets. I do the same when I travel in the States. I rarely take taxis...much prefer just hoofing it. And the surprises and great finds you stumble upon..always the best part!
I am not a student of architecture but how can you not be fascinated with it when traveling through these ancient cities of Europe. Below are the flying buttresses of the exterior of the Notre Dame Cathedral:
Beauty and strength, just like the human body. I remember learning when I first visited Paris that the cathedral took 190 years to build! Multiple generations worked on the building, just like the Duomo in Florence. Here is a picture of Evan outside the Sorbonne...that great Parisian institute of higher education. We are trying to play with the image a bit to make it look like he is lifting that steel container...his composition!:
And oh the flower shops...and bakeries...and wine stores!:
We dined at a restaurant called Nicolas Flamel, named after the 15th century alchemist who supposedly discovered the philosophers stone. Reportedly he was JK
Rowlings inspiration for some of her wizards in the Harry Potter series. He founded a home for orphans and the restaurant is housed in this ancient building:
Great fun and a great meal. Incidentally, this is our second time staying in a reasonably priced little hotel 5 mintues from the Louvre, Hotel Therese...neat little place and reasonably priced for Paris. (
http://www.hoteltherese.com/)
We spent time in the Louvre which is so massive it can intimidate the average tourist...there is so much to see. So the key is to go in and spend an hour or two and then come back if you want to see more. We did run by and see the Mona Lisa...have never really understood what the big deal is with that painting. The boys chilling in one of the galleries:
Great tip, don't wait in line at the main glass entrance by IM Pei, get your tickets on line or go in one of the side entrances and walk right in. I loved looking in this one room where they were unpacking new or stored antiquities... the place is busting with masterpieces!:
We walked up the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe, which was commissioned by Napolean to celebrate his victories. By the time they finished it he has lost more than he had won and had long ago been banished to Elba. The four of us on top:
That gal on the left really wanted to be part of our family but we eventaully ditched her. And a shot of the city with the Eiffel Tower:
Paris was fantastic...great art, great food. It just has a very unique feel. The statue below is in the Jardin des Tuileries, between the Louvre and the Arc. The poor guy is very sad...there are constant birds on his head crapping on him...or maybe he's sad because of his small penis? I guess we'll never know.
So after Paris we went back to Florence, the boys went back to school, and Renee and I had the chance to explore a little each day. Though she has posted on some of the things we saw and did, I will add a few more pics and thoughts next time...
