Friday, Oct 23rd, Paris

Greetings!

The western side of the City of Lights lit up for us today. Taking a couple of subways to the Arc de Triompe (that huge arch at the end of the Champs Elysees that France uses for it's "Mission Accomplished" military photo shots), we found our way through various underground tunnels to the base. Deciding to put our energy into walking instead of climbing stairs (same strategy at the Eiffel), we walked down the Champs Elysees to the Tulleries Garden, Petite Palace, and the Orsay Museum.

The weather cooperated, and we got to see even more of the beauty that here in Paris. Tonight, another attempt at finding the best place to eat within the Marchais neighborhood.

Gregory



































To see the photos we took today, click on:
Friday, Oct 23rd

Thursday, Oct 22nd, Paris

Greetings!

I'll bet you didn't know that the Eiffel Tower was originally proposed to be built in Barcelona, Spain four years before it went up in Paris. City fathers thought it an economic disaster - and rejected it. Paris city fathers thought it a disaster too, but they let Gustave build it - if he took on all the financial responsibility for twenty years. And then he had to agree to take it down at his own expense. It's a good thing there are visionaries willing to take risks. After twenty years, the City decided it was a safe bet, and bought it from him.

We went to two other museums today: the Musee du Quai Branly (great masks, ethnic clothing, and southern hemisphere culture collections); and the Rodin Museum. The lighting in the first was bad (why does everyone think good treasures look better in the dark?), but I stood my stillest to get the long exposure shots. Sorry for it still being blurry.

Gregory




























To see the photos we took today, click on:
Thursday, Oct 22nd