Some Paris Highlights

I have not forgotten my promise to post more on my Paris trip, but things have been so busy lately, I’m only now slowly getting the pictures uploaded to Facebook. So anyone who wants to see more can take a gander over there until I can get my butt in gear at this end.

But here are a few highlights:

(1) The architecture. I spent a lot of the trip walking around with my mouth hung open in awe. Everywhere you turned it was there. It really gives you a different perspective, coming from a relatively ‘new’ country to be surrounded by buildings that are older than any man-made structure you encounter in your everyday life. And the detail of it. They just don’t make stuff like that any more, which is very sad indeed. I don’t think 200 years from now anyone will be looking at today’s buildings with the same sense of awe. In fact, 200 years from now today’s buildings will likely not even be standing.

(2) The moped bandit. On our first full day in Paris we walked up to the Arc de Triomphe and then moseyed on over to the Eiffel Tower. After perusing the tower and gardens we continued on toward the military school, which fronted on a large another large garden. We crossed the street from the tower to the garden with four Asian tourists. They stopped on the sidewalk while we continued on. Then we heard a shout and turned in time to see one of the tourists being dragged behind a moped. It appears the couple on the moped grabbed the man’s satchel which was slung crossways over his shoulder. He did a few spins, was dragged on his stomach and then after a few horrifying seconds the satchel finally came free and he was left on the side of the road. He quickly got up and dusted himself off but I’m sure he was quite shaken by the experience. I know after that day I did not carry my purse with me for the rest of the trip. Everything I needed was safely stowed in my cargo pockets.

(3) Baguettes. These may well be the perfect food. I will never eat a regular sandwich again. All my sandwiches from here on in will have to be on a baguette.

(4) I have no sense of direction and my French sucks. The former I was well aware of, the latter not so much, but it was quickly drilled home when I spent most of the trip with my face screwed up, going ‘huh?’. And when I thought I ordered a chicken sandwich and ended up with salmon…well let’s just say most of my food choices were selected by pointing after that.

(5) The Hotel d’Invalides is not to be missed. If you go to Paris, go here. It’s basically a veterans’ hospital and military museum in one. Its collection on World War I & II is amazing and includes little short news reels that tell the story of the war. It was incredibly interesting see the Wars from the perspective a country outside of North America, one that had a bigger stake as far as being taken over by opposing forces.

(6) I walked by Daniel Craig AND Viggo Mortensen on the Champes D'Elysee Boulevard. Sadly I was too stunned to snap a picture. Life may never be the same again.

And that’s a quick wrap up of some of the highlights!