Only Time For Photos

I had plans to write a nice long post about today, what we had planned to do and what we ended up doing (turned out to be pretty different.) However, it is 11:30pm here; Jason and I are planning to take a Midnight Thirty bus ride down the Champs-Elysees to see the lights and Arc de Triomphe. I need to get this update out quickly and then we need to use the Metro to make our way south (we are staying in a hotel tonight, that is a little north of the Opera.) I thought I would just put up some pictures to give you an idea about our day (all photos by me):

An Early Start To Our Day

Sitting On Pont Neuf, The Oldest Standing Bridge In Paris (1607)

Quickly learning that I can't look good at 8:00am

But that I am still better than Jason at taking selfies.

Sunday Is A Quiet Morning To Walk Beside The Seine

With Someone I Love, In Paris

I am not a morning person, but the lack of people is really nice.

The Eiffel Tower Shot From Inside Musee d'Orsay,

Art From 1848 to 1914 In A Railway Station Built In 1900

It was free to get in seeing that it was the first Sunday of the month

and yes, we waited in that line, it took over an hour.

Contemplating His Girlfriend's Love Of Impressionist Art

Jason might be regretting only taking Grade 9 French in High School

but I am pretty sure he doesn't regret not taking art.

Jason, Who Is A Canadian And Wearing My Backpack, 

Heading Toward Notre-Dame

Inside I lit a candle, 

I always light a candle inside churches that let you do so.

The First Croissant

Greg said, "Make sure to eat lots of croissants."

A Successful Morning Walk

To The Local Boulangerie And Cafe

(They are across the street from one another.)

My plan to just have one croissant at the start and another at the end of the trip is not going to work out. I had forgotten just how good they are here! Mom and I have decided to split one each morning, Jason says he will need a whole one. I messed up ordering the Cafe au Lait for Jason and Mom; I forgot what 'to go' was in French and had to switch to English. Now was are off for the day, Jason and my plans are; a bus ride around the major sites (the guidebook suggested just taking the #69 city bus as it is much cheaper than a tour one); then a walk around Pere Lachaise Cemetery; a stop to see inside Notre-Dame; meet up with Mom and her friend Christine from England to see a free concert at Shakespeare and Co bookstore on the Left Bank; the four of us are going to have dinner out; and then Jason and I hope to go up the Eiffel Tower at night.

Evening Update
Instead of stopping in to see inside Notre-Dame, we went to Sacre-Coeur. We walked up the steps, enjoyed the view and visited the inside of the church. There was a mass on (in French) which was nice to listen to as we walked around. After dinner we decided to head home and we will have to do the Eiffel Tower another day. Jason has a sore throat and cold so it is best that he not over do it. We have to be up early tomorrow to go to Versailles too. Also, the stairs close at 6pm and we would prefer to walk up, mainly because it is cheaper.

I Will See You Soon

Today is the 125th anniversary of The Eiffel Tower. (Fun Eiffel Tower Facts.) The main structural work was completed at the end of March 1889 and on the 31st Gustave Eiffel celebrated this by leading a group of government officials, accompanied by representatives of the press, to the top of the tower. It was 2506 days ago that I last saw it in person...

The Base At Night

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

May 2007 - Photo by ME

Now I will see it again in less than 60 hours!

7 Years Later

I looked back and it was in May of 2007 that I was last in France, when I went to go and visit Anna. Here are some great throwback posts.
- Bon Voyage Party : I guess travel during that time in our life was rare? Or it was just an excuse to get a cake for a party.
- First Day : I still think this little poem describes Paris well, I will see with this trip if it is accurate.
- Tears of Love : A very emotional post about the Eiffel Tower. 2007 was also the year of my biggest mental breakdown and there was a chance that I wasn't going to be able to go to Paris.
- Wishing : Me looking out over the city while up at the Eiffel Tower.
- Anna's Back!! : A great picture of Anna with bikes and the Eiffel Tower in the back ground.
- My Best Digital Photo Ever : The picture of the Eiffel Tower that I took while visiting Anna. It is still probably the best shot I have ever taken. I used to have a big colour photo of it up on my wall in a floating frame but my dad broke the frame in a move and I never bothered to replace it. I gave a small copy to my uncle and another to Teri (it is in their Paris-inspired bathroom in the new house).

My Best Digital Photo Ever Taken

I start a new class tonight, Media Photography, obviously connected to Mass Communications. We have an assignment due the very first class, we are to bring in 'the best digital photograph you have ever taken.' I think that the wording of the request creates more than a little pressure. I have no idea what that photo would be, under what criteria, or whether is will be deemed good at all. I have chosen the one I took in Paris of the Eiffel Tower, seen above. I contemplated colour or Black and White but have finally settled on the B&W since I think it simplifies the image. I will probably take a few for back-up as well. I have a lot of expectations for this course but at the same time have no idea what it will be like. I'm excited though, if not super nervous.

Cool Webcams

I don't really frequent Live Webcams, but here are some I enjoy:
Canadian Parliament
-Good for seeing is a protest is happening
Eiffel Tower in Paris
-A little boring, but so beautiful and nice to see it in real time
Live Cub Cam
-Just found this on CuteOverload, mother lion and four cubs
London Webcam
-I checked this all the time in the weeks before my trip

Tacky

Spent the morning in cliche filled souvenir shops. It seems, like all big touristy cities, if you slap the word "Paris" or a picture of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Damn, or Arc de Triomphe on something, actually on anything, than people will buy it. There is some hideous things out there. I was able to find nice stuff for myself and good gifts for friends, though I have nothing for Teri yet, she is so hard to buy for at times. I'm planning to go to the Louvre this evening so hopefully all that art will get all the tacky images out of my head.

Tears Of Love

I hated it for so long. But last night it happened, I fell in love with The Eiffel Tower. I had seen it from a distance a couple times already, but last night decided to take a late night metro ride to that part of Paris, since I hadn't seen it up close yet. The metro stop was a ways away from it, near the military school, so I came up to it from the side. I then walked towards it through the Champ de Mars park. Seeing it lit up between the trees took my breath away. I always thought it was ugly, stupid, and looked like scaffolding, but it really is beautiful, delicate scaffolding. As I walked towards it I noticed how big it really is. Really breathtaking. I walked along the Seine away from it, forgetting about it as I looked for the Invalides. Waiting to cross a quiet tree lined street I saw the tower again, then it started the light show. Little white sparking lights, like tons of tiny flash bulbs. I started to cry. I haven't cried in a long time. It just really hit home where I was and where I had come from these past few months. I realized this is where I could be and what I could do if I was determined, happy, and healthy. I am now excited about the world, and hopeful about my place in it. I'm in Paris.

1906

The year is 1906. One hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some of the U.S. statistics for the Year 1906 :
************************************
The average life expectancy was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage was 22 cents per hour.
The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year .
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza 2. Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

Imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.