Here's how love finally hit me:
My traveling companions and I decided to take a boat tour Friday night along the river Sienne, which runs through the center of the city, right as the sun was setting. Despite the freezing cold (and wind!), I decided to sit on the top of the boat outside (there was a much better view), while everyone else sat inside. About halfway through the tour, we rode under a bridge, which as the boat's automated tour dictated, is nicknamed the bridge of love. Apparently, when you pass under the bridge, you're supposed to close your eyes and make a wish, then as you emerge out of the other side, you fall in love with the person sitting next to you. Since I was, in fact, alone on the top of the boat, I instead fell in love with Paris, right as the city's lights began to turn on.
Anyway, here are some photos of my now beloved Paris:
Who could NOT love a city where there are signs like this in the taxis? In case you can't see properly, that certainly is a "Don't Pass Gas in this Taxi" sign. I love it.
The Arc de Triomphe.
Sarah, me and Lenny in front of the arc. We didn't look so happy after we climbed the million stairs all the way to the top...
In fact, I almost jumped off just so I wouldn't have to walk DOWN the stairs. That's the Eiffel Tower behind my right leg.
The Torre Eiffel/Eiffel Tower/Tour Eiffel (in Italian, English and French, respectfully). I learned something new on this visit: apparently the tower is re-painted every five years with 45 tons of paint. It takes two years to complete the job.
The Eiffel Tower, illuminated at night. I took this picture from the top of the boat during the tour.
The Louvre, which houses something like 38,000 works of art. I heard that if you spend 10 seconds looking at each artwork, you'd spend three months wandering through the halls of the Louvre. But other than art, the Louvre also holds proof that Jesus and Mary Magdalen had children, whose bloodline continues to present day! (Thank you, Dan Brown and the Da Vinci Code .... )
Mona Lisa. The funny thing is that on the opposite wall, there's a HUGE painting that covers nearly the whole wall. Then there's tiny little Mona, who somehow holds much more weight.
Even the French are taking sides ... this is a political ad in a metro station.
The Pantheon in Paris. There are catacombs underneath where many people are buried, including the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, chemist Marie Curie, author Alexander Dumas, and my personal hero:
Me and my satirical buddy (and literary hero), Voltaire.
Notre Dame Cathedral in the center of Paris. Apparently, all maps and signs that tell the distance between other cities and Paris measure the distance to the courtyard right outside Notre Dame.
This is Jim Morrison's grave the Pere-Lachaise Cemetery. The flowers I laid are the purple ones in the center. RIP.
Atop the Eiffel Tower, with my beloved Paris.Tomorrow I will try to post a video I took of the Eiffel Tower's light show at night. First I have to figure out how to edit video on my computer ... and eat dinner. :o)
What's next:
This weekend the school organized a trip to Naples and Pompeii, so that's where I'll be. Weather permitting, we'll even get to hike up Mt. Vesuvius, so cross your fingers for me that the good weather we've had the last couple of days will continue through the weekend!
2 comments:
What's crazy (to me...and stupid of me to point out, actually) is that the people behind you in these pictures (the times where strangers are behind you, not students) is that these people are French, German, Italian. The conversations going on around you, as "American" as the people look in terms of style and dress, are not in English (likely). I like the idea, as inarticulate as I may be.
Tara I have been to every single on of the places in your pictures! Even on the boats on the river tour!!!! There is some pretty neat shit in the Louvre isn't there!
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