France: Paris
Winter 2008
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Getting acquainted with Eiffel Tower in Paris
(Jan-2008) |
Journal Entry... My first travel to Europe. I am overly excited to find out why Sabrina in that same-titled movie said, "Paris is my hometown."
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| Two Peas in Paris |
28-jan: Arrived Paris... Transiting out of Charles de Gaulle to city center took some delay. I insisted that immigration forms needed to be filled-up upon exiting the airport. I do not recall the Thai Airways FA handing me any. I looked around for a possible English-speaking traveler. I was confident my brain cells had absorbed some of those basic French greeting I've read from the travel book I hand-carried with me on the plane. Scouted the arrival area for an English-speaking individual. But, all I got at the arrival area was a reply sounding off like-- "Don't bother me, lady!" Because it was a non-existent form!
Finally, hubby and I have decided to brave the exit doors. That uncertainty plastered on our faces was what had raised the red flag with the Customs Officers, stationed near the exit doors at the airport. I sensed it a few feet away. The Customs Officer (female) motioned for us to enter the cubicle and to open out luggage for inspection, and at the same time asking how much foreign currency we were carrying. I remember safekeeping all my Euro bills in a photo album, a decoy to avoid pickpockets... and got embarrassed to show it. What must the Customs Officer be thinking about my 'bright idea' as she swept through the plastic leaves of my photo album containing my folded-up Euro bills.
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| Paris's main avenue - Arc de Triomphe (center) and LV flagship store (left), on Champs-Elysees boulevard |
Queued for taxi to get to city center. Taxicab driver might as well double for Vin Diesel, the Hollywood actor. Hubby and I arrived on a Monday morning and rush hour traffic was expected. Taxi meter was fast gaining the numbers. I elbowed the hubby... and he shrugged, which meant, "Ano pa magagawa natin?" (English translation: What else could we do?) There's an Airport Express to city center, but it was not a good idea for us first-timers hauling heavy luggage. Back to that taxi meter... it was on a roll making a re-make out of Audrey Hepburn's "Paris When It Sizzles", caption it: "Taxi Meter When it Sizzles". Taxi ride cost Euro-50, inclusive of luggage fee, plus tip to Vin Diesel lookalike.
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| Bird makes its flight around the Eiffel tower on a winter day |
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| Crossing Champs-Elysees |
Taxi driver drove past Arc de Triomphe down Champs-Elysees (boulevard)... and made a right on the street... et Voila! Eiffel Tower, in its glorious steel frame, came to view. I mouthed a - "W-O-W!" Taxi driver was grinning from the rear view mirror. Taxi driver drove by Eiffel Tower down Avenue de Suffren, and stopped in front of the white low-rise building, nextdoor to Hilton. "Je suis a Paris!" I am in Paris.
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All prim and proper
at Jardin des Tuileries |
Check-in: Avenue de Suffren apartment, in Paris's 7th arrondisement. (At a time when renting vacation apartments was uncommon set-up vs. traditional hotel bookings; I remember the French Embassy, at Manila, had to make sure our month's rental of Euro-4000 was for a legitimate transaction, the Contract of Lease was made part of VISA requirement.) Apartment was in such a central location. No better confirmation was Eiffel Tower right before my eyes. From apartment balcony was a 180-degree unobstructed view of Trocadero to my left; Eiffel Tower in front; Notre-Dame cathedral in the city island; Montparnasse tower to my right; and Sacre-Couer cathedral up the hill. I did run out of ideas interacting with the Eiffel Tower, 24/7, after a month's time.
Paris was not love at first sight. If Paris was human, Paris was old and grey. During the ride from the airport to city center, I did make a side comment to the hubby that we might have miscalculated a month-long stay in Paris alone. Admittedly, the beauty and charm of Paris grows on you with each passing day. Not before long, I was happily donning a red and brown berets, when outdoors (to the amusement of the locals giving me the occasional stare...), as well as that pink & aqua colored bandeau, when indoors, all purchased at #Monoprix, fully embracing the Parisian vibe in my adopted hometown-for a month*wink;)
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| Playing catch with Eiffel tower from the apartment balcony, in Paris |
Apartment owner, Francoise, reminded us, "Don't leave Paris without going on the river cruise!" Best time for a river cruise is nighttime, when city is all lit up. Paris had been dubbed the City of Light, after all. Trivia: Called, City of Light, or La Ville-Lumiere, it is attributed to Paris's role during the age of enlightenment as center of education, as well as the first European city to install gas street lighting. Hubby and I had a river cruise set for Valentine's Day (February 14). Here's my version of that day...
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| Two Peas at Louvre |
Hubby and I were HHWW (holding-hands-while-walking) going to the Bateaux Vedettes - boat cruise on river Seine. It was Heart's Day, I was in a happy mood humming a song. In a split second, my right foot lost coordination with my left foot... and before I knew it, I was falling to the ground, my entire body weight crashing down on concrete. OUCH! Hubby was laughing at the incident... A piece of advice to the Mrs. when strolling with the hubby: Get a firm grip on the hubby's neck er arm. I lost my interest on that river cruise, and hubby rescheduled it a week later.
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| Sweet sunshower on hubby's birthday in a deserted Louvre |
What to do when it rains in Paris? Paris has quite a number of museums. It was raining on hubby's birthday of all days. Hubby and I headed for the Musee du Louvre... Enrich one's soul viewing world famous artworks and masterpieces in the history of art and mankind. Tip: Entrance to Paris's museums is FREE every first Sunday of the month.
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| Contrary to Da Vinci's Code, the inverted I.M. Pei pyramid points to a mall |
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"Mona Lisa"
at Musee du Louvre |
In Musee du Louvre, there were the three special ladies of the house: Venus de Milo; Winged Victory; and Da Vinci's Mona Lisa. I did not expect Mona Lisa to be a small-sized painting, which looked like a huge artwork in the movies. In the train station-turned-Musee d'Orsay, there was Whistler's Mother, the painting Mr. Bean had messed up with in the movie, as well as Degas's The Little Dancer, and Van Gogh's distinct paintings.
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"Big Elephant"
at Musee d'Orsay |
In Musee Rodin devoted to Auguste Rodin's works, there they were the artist's rendition of The Thinker high up a pedestal in the garden, as well as The Kiss shared between two lovers - marble statues. What could Mr. Thinker be deep in thought about, up until that afternoon? Get on with a running contest of best captions for The Thinker... In Musee Picasso, the abstracts of Pablo Picasso (just) made me realize that anyone can paint, lol.
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"The Thinker"
at Musee Rodin |
During our month-long stay in Paris, hubby and I went as far as to check out two other less-visited museums... There's Musee Carnavalet - museum on the history of Paris, illustrating the city development from prehistoric era up to 20th century Paris. And there's Musee National du Moyen Age - the residence of Cluny abbots (... close to sounding off as distant relatives of George Clooney, lol), holding the 15th century tapestry hanging, The Lady and the Unicorn. By then, the rains have stopped.
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| Free seating in the French gardens at Jardin du Luxembourg |
When the sun's up, must-stroll around Paris; it is a walking city nobody gets tired off. It was surprisingly sunny during our winter sojourn, even Francoise, the apartment owner-turned-environmentalist-lawyer was quick to exclaim, "It's global warming!"
There's Champ de Mars (where Eiffel tower is), Jardin du Trocadero (across river Seine at Pont D'iena), Jardin des Tuileries (next to Louvre), and Jardin du Luxembourg (near Sorbonne university), which also happens to have that 2nd Statue of Liberty replica, with the 1st replica in one of the bridges crossing river Seine). How French folks loved the outdoors. Every opportunity, they were out relaxing in those French gardens.
oOo
PHOTOSTITCH
#France #Paris #winter2008
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| Check-in: Suffren apartment |
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| Paris outdoors |
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| At Trocadero |
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| At the Louvre |
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| Musee Rodin |
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| Musee Picasso |
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| Night in Paris |
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| At the Jardin des Tuileries |
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| Jardin du Luxembourg |
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| At Latin quarters |
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| Skating rink in Hotel de Ville - Paris's city hall |
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| At Palais de Justice |
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| Apartment balcony |
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| Ile de la Cite - city island |
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| At La Defense |
