Paris Blues

Wow, Paris at last.  I had these visions of Paris in my mind.  I saw lovers strolling along the Seine while artists delicately painted on canvas propped up on easels.  I heard romantic violins or accordions playing "La Vie en Rose" to the people on the street as they drank coffee in street-side cafes.  All the people would be dressed to the nines; this is after all the glamour capital of the world.  It would be the most grand metropolis of all urban areas.  The cool of the cool, the chic of the chic.

Tourists trolling the Seine.

I am sad to say that I find Paris very dirty, very smelly and none of the above.  Most places are covered in graphiti, there is garbage in the streets and there is a strong smell that surfaces every 2 blocks or so.  I'll leave the organic olfactory description to your imagination.   The service in restaurants is non-existent (OK, so I didn't go to any 5 star restaurants, but I don't do that at home either).  I had better service from the teenagers at Boston Pizza then at the cafes on Rue St. Michel and Rue St. Martin.   Isn't Paris supposed to have the best restaurants, stores and street-side atmosphere?

Is it because I am visiting tourist areas and us foreigners have worn out our welcome?  A few days later, I did find a delightful little café called Evangeline near the Musee D'Orsee.  I splurged and had crepes with chocolate and banana filling. 

J'aime beaucoup les crepes chocolat et banane.

The couple running the cafe were helpful, pleasant and very French!  This place was so small that they put mirrors everywhere to displace the sensation of being in a small box.  When I stepped up to the counter I freaked out  because I was looking at my face, not the Monsieur behind the counter. 

Csn you see the mirrors?  This is the Evangeline cafe, seriously, this is it!

Although I was disappointed with the vibe and my overall impression of Paris, I was impressed with the key landmarks that make this city unique.  The Louvre was better than I imagined (even after reading The DaVinci Code). 

Pyramid at the Louvre.  Very early in the morning - look, there are no people!

Tres bien, Monsieur.



I also like to hang out my boobs when I claim victory.



Venus in shadow.



Musee D'Orsay has an amazing collection of famous impressionist paintings by Monet, Van Gogh, Manet, Degas, Renoir and many others.  They even have the rough sketches that the artists created prior to finishing their grand works of art.  Manet practiced 6 different creases in an elbow for one painting.  Seeing the evolution of the art is something that is not offered in other museums that I have been to. 

L'Arc De Triomphe is huge, and only by standing under it do you understand the gravity of the price paid for victory. 

L'Arc de Triomphe.

The Eiffel Tower is an engineering masterpiece - it gets painted every 7 years which requires 60 tons of paint!  I always thought the tower was grey, but it's actually brown.   I opted to walk up the stairs to save a few euros.  

The stairs are the way to go.  Look, no people!

Only 669 stairs to the 2nd viewing platform, piece of cake.

 

Trusses and rivets create a masterpiece.

 

When I heard the bell ringing at the Cathedral de Notre Dame, and saw the amazing grandeur and stained glass windows, my heart opened a little bit for Paris.

Twin bell towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral, home of Quasimoto.

Stained glass window inside Notre Dame.

A tourist attraction that is not as common is the thousands of "cadenas d'amour" (love padlocks) that are attached to the railings of the Pont des Arts bridge over the Seine  Left Bank by the Louvre.  Each padlock has a message to a lover, or a note proclaiming eternal love.  Now this is more like the romantic Paris of my dreams! 

Nothing says true love like a bike lock.

My favorite part of Paris is the Champs D'Elysees.  It is a stretch of road between the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe.  One section is a garden with trees, flowers and water fountains.  There are very comfy reclining metal chairs that you can sit in to enjoy the warm weather and the view.  The other section is shops and restaurants.  It was here that I saw Louis Vuitton and Cartier stores that were larger than life!  Of course, I had to shop and buy some new clothes.  It was time to switch from tacky tourist to tres chic.

THE Louis Vuitton store.

Great view from restaurant on Champs D'Elysees.  Service and food...not so great.

I spoke in French most of the time in Paris, so the 12 years of schooling in French Immersion finally were put to good use after 20 years.  Merci Madame Szwender!

There is still hope for my view of Paris.  I have one more day in Paris planned at the end of my trip.  Perhaps a new light (and hopefully a new smell) will give me a change of heart.