Gay Paris!!

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Rest was a necessity upon arrival for our body clocks were completely confused by the time change. After a healthy chunk of rest was had, we ventured out to the Palace de Invalides which was the home to the Tomb of Napoleon I (picture right), as well as tombs of his family members. This Dome was constructed between 1679 and 1706 and when the sun shone (not very often in November), it glimmered off of the gold curves and it's spire. Stunning.

Even more stunning was that the floors, walls, and banisters inside were all marble. You can whistle and the echo would sound clearly for 10 long seconds. Stained glass rooms bounce a beautiful blue cast on the crypts of Napoleon's family members. The ceilings were painted with amazing cherub and angel scenes in classic baroque colors. One can look down into the crypt of Napoleon (view on right), or you can go down the stairs and see it at eye level. But upon facing the stairs that take you down, you come to face a large crucifiction with gorgeous hand carved curvy pillars. (picture left)

I highly reccommend buying a "museum pass" that allows you in just about every museum and many other points of interest for a week. A metro pass is also a necessity.

Ok, let's see... we walked, and walked. Paris is definitely about walking, and when we did, I had to acknowledge that something one of Gabe's clients said was true. She said that Parisians would look at your shoes to know where you were from... I guess the Nike swish gives away the Americans. :) With such a heavy emphasis on fashion, it was true that people in Paris looked everyone up and down- checking their outfit, their shoes.
Much of the fashion in Paris was classic black (in the fall/winter), I was reminded of New York City. It was late November when we were there, so it was about 40 degrees. Most people had long dark jackets on, nice shoes, and the colorful personal clothing statements were made in scarves and hairstyles. Clothes were expensive in the city. I figure it was because the clothes were made well and since they were classic stlyes, they could be worn more often and for a longer period of time. Men's shoes in any store would be at least $200, suits were $700 and above. Window shopping was fun!

While walking, there were at least 3 small sandwich shops on every block, and occasional small grocery stores. For the most part people could speak english though encounters were much better if one tries to speak the language of the country they're in. Gabe and I learned and used the basic phrases to get around alright. We could ask for things and say plesantries-- which was a must upon entering and leaving any store or restaurant. The natives were nice even though it must get old having countless thousands of tourists visit Paris every year. It is a great source of income for the city though.

Ahhhh, the cuisine... There was coffee any time of day or night. Cafe au lait was fantastic there. Strong, flavorful, not in the least bitter. And if you like wine, you must adventure to Paris because the wine is cheaper than water!! A French bottle of wine you would buy in the states that costs 10 dollars, would only be 3 dollars there! I mean, come on-- tasty cabernet, merlot, chiraz, and many white wines too-- for a couple of dollars!! Gabe had 7 bottles of wine in his backpack on the way home. We had our friends choose the bottles they wanted, straight from France. :)

Wine was not the only food we brought back home. Somehow, I managed to return Du pain chocolate for Sandy DeNise! Oh-- those are two chocolate croissants. Yummy breakfast eats, I must say... And while we're talking about food, let's talk dessert: The Chocolate Moose, soo rich and creamy-tasty, ahh, and The Creme Brule!!!!! I must have had 4 in 8 days, it was just that good.
But the best place I must say Gabriel and I ate at was not French. It was this great Indian and Pakastani Restaurant called "Restaurant Punjab". (image right...) The food was excellent, the service was top notch, the prices were very reasonable, and the atmosphere was authentic, classy, and comfortable. It was by far the best experience I had with the cuisine in Paris.

The idea is romantic, but be ready to spend some bucks if you want to eat while looking out of the Eiffel Tower. From the menu at the bottom of the Tower, we learned that it would cost at least $60 per person to eat in the Tower, and personally, I would rather eat a nice dinner at a French restaurant that would not be full of tourists.

So, look at it we did, but we did not go up the Eiffel Tower. The stairs were closed the times we went. :( Ahhh, but the interesting thing to be ready for at touristy locations in Paris would be the "tourist vultures". There was one encounter in particular that I will not forget: Gabe and I were standing below the Tower, which could have been romantic except for the people jangling mini versions of the eiffel tower at us, begging us to buy something. And then there was the lady.

A young girl (she had to be in her twenties), came up to me carrying a baby. She asked me the catch phrase: "Do you speak English?". I said "Yes" and she hands me a photocopied piece of paper on which was handwritten this message, "I am from Bosnia. I have been here for three months and I can not find a job. Will you please give me some money so that I can feed my baby?". At this point I remember being warned that con artists will ask the question, "do you speak english?" to the tourists (who most likely have cash on them). Although she had a baby with her, there were a few things that made her story seem false to me: she was nicely dressed with earrings on and she was clean, and the paper she handed me to read had been photocopied (how long has she been using this scam?). I begin to tell the lady, "No, sorry", and she becomes frantic, showing me (another woman) her pretty little (healthy) baby saying, "Please! My Baby!!... Please!! MY BABY!!!". Then, to be sure I was understanding that she wanted money, she opens her hand to reveal at least ten dollars in coins. MISTAKE!! She had plenty to buy some formula. I had to walk away from her as she screamed , "Please! MY BABY!!". Geez... Tourist vultures make a killing with scamms. As do pick pocketers on crowded subways, we later learned. ;(

( ... More news soon to be added to this entry... )

Visit the Paris Photo Gallery