An American in Paris

Apparently I forgot to pay my Francification tax, so the pictures weren't all showing up. I think I've got it taken care of now, though. -ben

I know you're all dying to see each one of the 550 pictures I took while I was in Paris, but you'll have to settle for the top 10. I know it's a crushing disappointment, but the French have a saying–which can't be translated directly into English–that roughly goes, "Even the underside of a cow's hoof doesn't get wet in the rainstorm." I'm not exactly sure how that applies here, but I think it's a fine sentiment, and hopefully the confusion will cover over any disappointment.

The short version of it all is that we had a great time. Our apartment was a block and a half from the Eiffel Tower, and close to everything else we wanted to see (the Musee Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, Notre Dame, the Latin Quarter, Montmartre, the Catacombs, and the list goes on). We walked a lot, rode Paris's new rental bikes (Velib) a lot, talked a lot, ate a lot, and–thanks to the "roll over on its back and play dead" American dollar–spent a lot.

Here's the photo highlights from the trip:



(1) Kevin on the far left, Loren turning toward me, Jesse and Kelly just beyond him. We're riding the Velib rental bikes over a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Seine.



(2) And here's a photo of the Seine; houseboats lining the bank, and the Musee d'Orsay (one of the largest collections of Impressionist painting) in the distance on the opposite bank.



(3) A typical intersection, and a pretty typical picture of us (that's Jesse, Kevin, and Loren, left to right), circling around the street map. Kelly, Loren's wife, is standing behind Kevin in this picture. She was a brave soul to put up with all of us this past week.




(4) The Church of the Sacred Heart (or Sacre Coeur, as the French call it), which sits at the top of Montmartre, one of Paris's nine hilltops.



(5) The face of Notre Dame. Later in the week, we climbed the bell tower on the left.



(6) This is the garden of Versailles, which lies directly behind the palace. The water in the distance is the Grand Canal, which was filled with gondolas and gondoliers from Venice during the reign of Louis XVI (and perhaps other Louis's as well).



(7) Here's Kelly in a pensive mood. This is in a little restaurant in the garden of Versailles, which was rumored to serve cups of chocolat chaud ("hot chocolate," for you Americans) as thick as melted candy bars. I can assure you, the rumors are quite true.



(8) This is Sacre Coeur, seen from behind the clock at the top of the Musee d'Orsay.



(9) One of the bored gargoyles at the top of Notre Dame.



(10) And here's southern Paris at night. I shot this from the second deck of the Eiffel Tower on our last night in town. Napoleon is buried at the end of the long grassy park.

Wow, I can't believe that's 10 pictures already. I'm trying to put together a little photo slideshow, which I may post here if it turns out. Otherwise, each of you can look forward to long-winded explanations about the incredibly funny events that provided context for each one of my 550 photos.