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| Paris, Île-de-France |
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Musée Rodin:
While I'm not too much of a fan of sculpture,
it is very hard not to be intrigued by Rodin's sculptures.
I highly recommend walking around the Rodin Museum,
as there is a wooded garden where the statues seem
to come to life in an eerie fashion. |
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Pont Neuf:
(Left) I happened to come across
this bridge at the perfect time of day and shot an
entire roll of film. I was lucky enough to get this
shot which is now one of my favorite photographs
Street Musician:
(Right) I came across this musician
at Montmartre and was captivated by her sound. Surprisingly
the accordion can actually be pleasant if played
well!
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Arch de Triumph:
(Left) While the Arch de Triumph is
quite imposing, I was more impressed that vehicles
were not crashing around the massive traffic circle
than I was of the arch itself.
Arch De Triumph:
(Right) As seen from the Eiffel Tower,
the Arch de Triumph dominates its surroundings. The
Champs Elysées, which leads up to it, is not
to be missed.
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Pont Des Arts:
This bridge, which connects the Louvre to the
Institut de France (pictured), seemed to be a favorite
for budding artists and for backpackers who, like myself,
were eating their picnic lunches which consisted of
cheese, baguettes, and maybe a little wine... |
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Gare du Nord:
(Left) The North Station is the Parisian
home of the Eurostar,
which links London to Paris in only 3 hours. Unharmed
during the war, the train stations in Paris are works
of art themselves.
Bastille Monument:
(Left) Unless you care for modern
architecture, the Bastille section of town is not
spectacular, except for this monument which stands
in a busy traffic circle.
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Bastille Market:
(Left) If you happen to visit the
Bastille on a Sunday, you will be treated to a fabulous
market with amazing fruit, cheese, meat, and bread.
I love farmers markets so this was a great treat
for me.
Cheese Market:
(Right) Another view of the market
at the Bastille. I was very happy to stumble across
this!
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Invalides:
(Left) This gorgeous building is
home to Napoleon's ashes, which lie in state under
the grand dome. The building is also part of the
Museé de l'Armee, which celebrates the French
military. (This must be a small museum!)
Invalides Garden:
(Right) Another view of the Invalides
from the gardens which surround it. I love this photograph!
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Invalides:
(Left) Seen From the inner courtyard,
Invalides is beautiful no matter how you look at
it.
Louvre:
(Right) I didn't want to spend my
entire trip to Paris looking at art, so I had to
be content with looking at the Louvre from the outside.
(Which suits me fine, since the outside is prettier
than most museum's insides!)
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Champ de Mars:
(Left) The Champ de Mars is a wonderful
park which was seemingly built to handle the staggering
amount of tourists which visit the Eiffel Tower,
from which this picture was taken
Sacre Coeur:
(Left) I had a great time hiking to
this church, located at the top of Paris's tallest
hill, Montmartre . The views of the city from this
church are unbelievable.
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Opera House:
(Left) The Opera House occupies a
prime piece of real estate in Paris and is quite
stately. As the building is too large to fit in a
normal camera lens, this rooftop statue should give
you an idea of the opulence that lies beneath.
The Hôtel de Ville de Paris:
(Right) While walking down the boulevards
in Paris, you come across gorgeous buildings such
as the Parisian City Hall.
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Place de la
Nation:
(Left) The large monument at the
Place de la Nation was one of my favorites, as the
graffiti on the statue made it seem like a piece
of living art
The Thinker:
(Right) I've always loved the Thinker,
as I like to sit and contemplate life myself, although
unlike the Thinker I usually wear clothes!
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La Tour Eiffel:
(Left) What can I say that hasn't
already been said about the Eiffel tower? I was very
surprised that the tower was really as impressive
as it was. I expected the tower to be "nothing
much", but in reality it is something special.
Eiffel Tower:
(Right) You can never have too many
pictures of the Eiffel Tower!
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Eiffel Tower Cogs
:
Since the tower is probably one of the best
well-known buildings in the world, I searched long
and hard in an effort to make a somewhat original photograph.
I ended up photographing the elevator cogs, which I
think are works of art themselves! |
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| Do you have any questions
or comments about this page? Please let me know!
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Time Visited: May 2000 & May 2002
Main Cities Visited: Evian, Paris
Modes of Transportation: Boat, subway, train (Eurostar),
bus
How I Ended Up There: Quick jaunt across Lake Geneva
to Evian while in Switzerland. In 2002 I spend a weekend in Paris
while studying in London.
Memorable Foods: Lots of bread, escargot, wine, pastries,
Evian water (from the source!)
What I Liked: Perfect urban planning kept the city's
flavor while allowing growth outside of Paris, diversity of Paris
was surprising, Strolling along the River Siene is an experience
not to be missed.
What I Disliked: American attitudes of French people...
I found them to be quite nice!
Where I Stayed: At the grungiest hostel in Europe
France in Five Words: immaculate, proud, isolated, gourmet,
persistent
My Thoughts: I reluctantly visited Paris while I was
studying in London in 2002 because I was expecting to meet a
group of people who were arrogant, snooty, and generally unpleasant.
Now, in the past I normally ignore preconceptions and stereotypes
because they generally are not true, but with the almost universal
dislike (by Americans at least) of the French, I thought there
might be something to this. Needless to say, when I visited Paris
I was shocked to see the degree to which these preconceptions
were incorrect. The French were friendly, decent, clean,
and surprisingly helpful to me, yet I was just one of tens of
thousands of tourists in the city at the time. Once again, I
learned that you can only make a truly informed decision with
firsthand knowledge and experience. Everything else is just hearsay.
© David
Metraux 1996-2006
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