Jardin des Plantes - I thought the branches of these trees that lined the walkway made such a cool visual effect.
Statue at the Jardin des Plantes
A view of the back of Notre Dame.
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After meeting up with our friends and "faire la bise" (they just don't faire la bise like they used to,) it was time to get our grub on. We introduced our friends to the French baguette sandwich.
After lunch and a stroll by the river, we headed to our Hotel - Hotel Esmeralda - RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE NOTRE DAME!!! Great job Katie for finding this place!
After lunch, it was time for a café, French style. Bethany and Derrick tried their first of many cafés here in France.
Not a bad view from our window.
Sugar cookies, a special delivery from Katie's sister, Betsy. Betsy - Let the record state that these were your best sugar cookies that you have made so far. I look forward to tasting more in the future. Delicious!!!
A view from of the room, Bethany counted 9 different floral wallpaper designs, talk about character.
The famous English bookstore that was right around the corner from our hotel - Shakespeare and Company. The store has fostered many famous writers from "the Lost Generation," such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Gertrude Stein to name a few. Shakespeare and Company is repeatedly mentioned in Hemingway's A Moveable Feast. The store was also owned by Walt Whitman's grand-nephew, George after WWII. During the 1950's, writers of the Beat Generation, such as Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, and William Burroughs frequented the store when in Paris. The first floor is lined with books from floor to ceiling that you can buy while the entire second floor is just a "library" where young aspiring writers can come to sip some coffee, talk and write. Cool stuff!
The stereotypical French waiter.
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After unloading our luguage, it was time to start the standard "Paris Highlights walk," which starts at the Notre Dame, goes along the right bank of the river with major sites to see along the way and ends at the Arc de Triomphe.
Searching for Quasimoto at the Notre Dame
Next stop along the walk, the Louvre.
hmmmm
Blue steel or Magnum?
Outside the Louvre.
Here is a picture I snapped at sunset with the obélisque de Luxor in the foreground and the Eiffel tower in the background. (no, the Eiffel tower is not falling over).
Tour Eiffel in the background.
A fountain along the way.
I forgot that I had a gig tonight at the Queen nightclub on the Champs-Elysées - Dimitri From Paris.
Friends - resting our feet along the Champs-Elysées
Arc de Triomphe.
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We started the next day with a crêpe from a local boulangerie and then wandered around to find a café...
Mission accomplished...and with 1€ cafés! That's a steal!
The café was just around the corner from the pantheon,
so we snapped a few pictures.
One of my favorite pictures of the gang sitting in front of le Palais du Luxembourg at Jardin du Luxembourg.
Us, yep those are definitely Elvis sunglasses I am wearing...purchased just outside of Graceland (Memphis, TN)
Katie digging for gold...appropriately from a gold statue. (being in Paris doesn't automatically make you sophisticated!!)
The lovely ladies in front of Fontaine des Medicis at Jardin du Luxembourg.
Another view of the Fontaine des Medicis.
"Yep." -"Yep." A man moment...only thing missing was a manergy sports drink.
Outside of the modern art museum - Centre de George Pompidou
The plaza outside of Centre de George Pompidou is known for having preformers including artists, musicians and more. This performer painted with his hands a picture of someone really popular here in France that you might recognize. The crowd was so big that the cops came and broke up the show.
After watching the performers, we found a kebab place close by and sat down to eat. In true French fashion a demenstration happened to be marching by and stopped about 10 feet from us giving us a show to go with our dinner.
That night we tried to go to a local bar right around the corner that Katie and I had went to when I came over the first time but the place was too packed to even get a seat, (and the music didn't seem so great that night) so we hung out at our hotel room, drank some wine, ate some snacks and later went to sit in front of the Notre Dame at night. This is what we saw as we hung out. One of my favorite memories of the trip.
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The next day, we got up and headed to a local market so our friends could see what a european market was like and to get some things for a picnic later.
Le marché
Le marché
Next, we were off to the Musée d'Orsay, an old train station converted into a museum housing many different periods of art, most notable the impressionist movement.
The big clock at the Musée d'Orsay from the inside.
Here is one of the statues that Katie loved that was carved from different types of marble. So interesting how the sculpturer used the multicolor marble for the skirt part to give it a pattern effect. I really liked this one too.
I really thought this painting was really cool. It is a painting of a princess from some legend I believe and I feel like I have seen it somewhere else also. Not sure if it was in an CD album cover or what but it seems fimiliar. If anyone knows please leave a comment and let me know.
After the Musée d'Orsay, we wandered around a little more. Here is a random pic.
That night we took the metro to the Eiffel tower. It was a clear black night, a clear white moon.
We arrived just in time for the show.
After a great weekend in Paris, we caught a red eye train back to Bordeaux.
Before leaving, we had a picnic outside the train station.
Before leaving, we had a picnic outside the train station.
Busted...I won't tell you the book I am reading but Bethany, Derrick and especially Da Jenn will know what this means. (and probably comment...)
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