Pairs in Paris

Looking back towards the palace from about 2/3 through the length of the garden.
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Arrogant.  Pretentious.  Rude.  Classist.  Have you heard these things of the people living in France's capital?  If you have, don't believe everything you hear.  And if you've been unlucky enough to experience them, I suggest you return to the City of Love with more patience, effort, and sense of humor.  Parisiens get a bad rap.  According to a man I met living near Bordeaux who lived and worked in Paris prior to his retirement, these stereotypes had long been true.  However, as barriers of race and class broke down, so did the pedestal on which the Parisiens stood.  I knew the city's personality of museums, monuments, and architecture would not disappoint, but its people and atmosphere pleasantly surprised me.  These people heavily tipped Paris' scales.  Well, these people plus one man from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

At last, Le Louvre. Mr. Brown, what's under there?...
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For the second time on these travels, I checked into a four-star hotel.  And, like the previous occurrence, it was solely due to the generosity of a friend.  This friend, however, I had not seen in 8 years.  His role in my life has unfortunately diminished, but his significance has not.  Before the seeds of my travel dreams had been planted, Craig Watrous was realizing his own.  And, unbeknownst to him, this made him one of my inspirations.  Without a hint of awkwardness, we jumpstarted a dormant friendship within minutes of our reunion.  During the days, Craig attended classes while I toured the city, but evenings brought us together for meals, walks, and talks.  We shared some of the past and much of the future.  We discussed travel tips and mishaps and destinations still desired.  For one week, I swapped stories and knowledge from a trip with one of the very heroes who had indirectly driven it.

After all, how often is it one gets to look down at the sunset?

Winged Victory. One of my favorite statues while studying art history...yes, I took art history.
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The Eiffel Tower at sunset.  I highly recommend it.  After Craig and I ate our take-away meals at Eiffel's feet, we ascended the several hundred steps to its midsection.  It was here I realized just how tall the tower is.  With more than half its height left to scale, I realized Lady Liberty in NY Harbor would fit inside its steel-framed skeleton.  Nevertheless, even at its waist the sunset was better than great.  After all, how often is it one gets to look down on the horizon?  As the fiery glow passed behind the skyscrapers in the west, Le Tour Eiffel really began to shine, quite literally.  Each nighttime hour its light-bulb laced frame wows onlookers across the city with the tallest head-to-toe light show in the world.

The longest hall in the museum. Home to impressive collection of Italian paintings.
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My guess is many of you know some of the famous works or artists featured in the Musee de Louvre and Musee d'Orsay.  Mona Lisa, Van Gogh, blah blah blah.  How about the old moat in the Louvre's basement, though?  The preserved salons of Napoleon III when it was his palace?  Or what about the floor in the Orsay dedicated to the Paris Opera House?  Galleries of 19th century bedroom, study, and dining room furniture?  Like the city itself, the famous pieces in these collections left little to be desired.  Da Vinci's brushstrokes on his famous lady will not soon be forgotten.  Circling the Venus de Milo and seeing different angles brought new appreciation to an old statue.  Going through the rooms in the Musee d'Orsay dedicated to Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, and other Impressionist heavy hitters was like strolling through the 19th century art hall of fame.  But also like the city outside, there were plenty of pleasant surprises in these museums.  Each celebrated its collections with architecture and artistry befitting their themes and pieces.  The atmosphere asks for silence while the decor demands respect.  I complied with both but feel a return trip is needed for insurance.

The museum's most famous piece. Can't get close anymore, but from what i could see, no picture has ever done it justice. Seeing true colors (at least what they are now) and brushstrokes are wonderful.
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Imagine an American football field.  Now build a one-story gothic stone church covering it.  Oh, and only use techniques and materials available 1000 years ago.  Now build a second story on it.  And throw in a few stained glass windows large enough to drive a modern-day train through.  Now add a third story.  Make sure it has lots of columns.  For the final touch, add two large towers big enough to house half a dozen bells each.  'How large are the bells,' you ask?  Not too large, just the size of a VW Beetle.  If you are extremely creative and work very hard for hundreds of years, you may build something that resembles the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris, but I'm still putting my money on the original.  No offense.

Shooting those shooting the Mona. Aside - shout out to my class at Stanford: look carefully in this photo.
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There are many castles and palaces throughout Europe.  Some are dark and dank.  Others are gilded and glittery.  Even fewer are Versailles.  The palace's size resembles an airport and its garden a large greenbelt.  I spent two hours in each with hardly a closed-jaw minute and still left plenty to be discovered.  Even for the gold-happy French kings, there is 'doing' it and 'overdoing' it.  When Louis XIV began its construction, I think he was going for the latter.  Hardly anything is undecorated, ungilded, or unpainted.  From the Hall of Mirrors to Louis' bedchamber, the tourable sections of the palace more than justify its steep entrance fee.  The salons have been restored and preserved to a state worthy of their past kingly glory.  Many paintings would easily qualify for Louvre membership were they not part of the ceiling.  A lone chair, desk, or bedspread would probably fetch a prize equaling a car's value on material and craftsmanship alone, history aside.  This is the pinnacle of French wealth and royal power and the gawdy boasting that followed.  And it sure is fun to indulge in for a few hours!

Yet another singular work from an entire wing I enjoyed, sculptures and objets d'art from ancient Egypt. This fellow is Ramses II.
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Dear Paris,

You were not what I expected:  I came for the attractions and left attracted to the ambience.  The 'City of Love' is indeed a lofty title, but as I now believe you have something to offer everyone, I suppose you should keep it for now.  Thank you for introducing me to your neighborhoods and its citizens.  They were nearly as tasty as the dishes they served me.  I hope we will see each other again soon.  Until then, please give my fellow travelers the same hospitality you have given me.