I arrived at CDG by air from Vienna and took the RER to find Christine and Jean-Gabriel's home (NIH alums also) in the 10th district. The transit system in Paris is terrific if at times a bit crowded!
My first stop Saturday afternoon was Notre Dame. It is being renovated so some of it is covered with tarp which I suppose made me feel ND was not "larger than life." But going inside… whew… It IS larger than life! Below is a "Kodak moment" shot of the famed Notre Dame with the Seine in the foreground.
I then did a bit of walking the side streets of St. Michel toward the Pantheon. The narrow streets and the myriad of stores was what I pictured Paris to be like. I grabed some Greek stuff for lunch and some sweets from a Tunisian bakery.
In the Pantheon, French heroes are honored. I’m impressed that the French take time to honor not only politicians and military men but also writers, scientist, philosophers.
My next stop was the Eiffel tower. Touristy of course, but it is Larger than Life! When I turned the corner from existing the metro station and saw the Tower... I just said, "I am *really* here in PARIS!!" In lights, it announced 77 days to the millenium. What I’ll remember was the view but also my fellow tourists stuck in line. When you are all bunched up in the cold night waiting in line, you can't help but listen in on conversations. I saw a couple. The woman had the look of someone who was very happy. Honest, I don't deliberately listen in but I overhead... they got engaged just that day. How romantic!
Sunday morning, my first stop was the Musee D'Orsay. The lighting and open spaces of the place is out of this world.
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