Paris

Paris is incredible, I love this city.


Observations:
- The French are not as mean as is generally thought. While there are some exceptions, and there always are, the French are in general very friendly and willing to work with you if you don't speak the language.

- Water continually flows through the streets of Montmartre, I spose it is some sort of stab at street cleaning. Not sure if this extends into the rest of the city but I thought it was interesting.

- Fecal matter on the streets and sidewalks, of both the canine and human variety, doesn't seem to be a concern here in Paris as both pets and their owners have no issues with relieving themselves in pubic. This is not a HUGE thing, but it is something I noticed.

- The bread is amazing here.

- The artists of Montmartre are a talented group. It is a shame that some have resorted to painting scenes that would appeal to a tourist in order to make a buck. Still, an immense concentration of artistic ability is showcased everyday on Butte Montmartre in the small square sitting in the shadow of the Sacre Coeur.

- The homeless of the city have nicer luggage than I do.

- Walking for 10 hours a day is hard on the body. I need to pace myself.

The Attractions (my impressions of the tourist spots in Paris):
- The Eiffel Tower - It is what it is folks. It is an impressive number, I will most certainly give it that. One thing that I did not know before coming here was that every hour on the hour, thousands of flash strobes all over the exterior of the tower blink in alternating sequences making the tower appear to well, twinkle twinkle like a million huge stars on a gigantic metal tower. I spent a good amount of time shooting this thing before I found an angle that I was proud of. It's not your typical shot of the tower, but it's mine, and I like it, and it's on flickr. Go look.

- The Louvre - Overrun with tourists during the day. It seems you have to go right when it opens at 9:30 am in order to beat the crowds. I have only explored the exterior of this location but I will perhaps take a spin around the museum itself later this week.

- Notre Dame - Tourist, tourists everywhere from all around the globe. Enthusiastic japanese tour guides hop around and broadcast the history of the famous basilica to their eager followers before entering. The interior itself is immense and absolutely stunning. Notre Dame is home to some of the most incredible stained glass work I have ever seen. Hundreds of people moved through around the floor, through the pews and around behind the altar. While still a functioning place of worship, Notre Dame has embraced it's status as a tourist attraction and is set up very much like a museum exhibit. The "homeless" of Paris are stationed at the entrance of the chapel and, in hopes that people are feeling enlightened and generous upon leaving, at the exit as well.

- Champs Elysee - This is a VERY long stretch of road to walk, all the while teasing you with the Arc de Triomphe as your "light at the end of the tunnel." It is an enormous street, packed by people and cars with numerous landmark buildings situated on either side. It morphs into a shopping area just before reaching the Arc.

- Arc de Triomphe Etoile - Very, very big. I immediately was struck by the amount of work and planning it must have taken to assemble a monument like this. The stonework was beautiful and intricate, the sculptures on either side of the arch's "feet" depicted classical figures in various epic poses.

- Sacre Coeur - Another beautiful, but less known, basilica in Paris. It is literally 5 minutes from my hostel and I have been able to visit several times since I have been here. From its spot on the very top of Butte Montmartre, Sacre Coeur offers stunning views of the city and is especially beautiful at night.


All that said...

My hostel here is great, I have had great luck with my roommates: Tomas from Argentina, Hector from Mexico, Enrique from Brazil.
Regardless of the small language barrier that exists, we share stories from our home countries and the other places that we have been in the world. We are all from different countries, but our paths have all managed to converge here, at this hostel, of all the places. It is staggering to think about really; how people's lives can be so far spread one day and then intertwined the next. Even though you may never see them again, you always have that time you spent there, you always have that friendship that was forged within a few short days. You have the email addresses and the invitations to visit, and who knows, maybe one day you will meet each other again, only time will tell.

It is a dynamic that is still very new to me, but I like it. If these few days are any indication of what lies ahead, I cannot wait to see what people I meet as I make my way across Europe.

I have enjoyed my time here at Le Village and, while I am leaving tomorrow, I hope to be able to return at the end of March perhaps for a few nights before my flight to Bangkok.

And now, pictures. I had to make them smaller than usual because I only have so much time to wait for them to upload before I get kicked offline.

I have not enough time online to upload and arrange all of the photos into this post, but they are up on flickr in the "Paris, France" set.

LINK HERE

As always, thanks for reading.