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Rod Stewart once sung of Paris being “…a place you could hide away if you felt you didn’t fit in.” I have to admit that some of the Parisians made me feel that I didn’t quite fit in there either, with the odd snide comments or dirty looks that were periodically slung my way (though I did get an “Oo la la…” from a particularly attractive French girl in a Metro station.) But I did meet some friendly Parisians and did enjoy my time there. It is an historic and visually intriguing city that has a lot to offer. It was some time ago that I was there and things may have changed with regards to the Gypsy population, but be advised that you should mind your wallet and valuables as you stroll through the streets of Paris.
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Gargoyle on the upper balcony of the Notre Damme.
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The main sights that I took in during my short visit were the Louvre, the Arc De Triomphe and Notre Damme, in addition to walks along the Seine and the Champs Elysse. Unfortunately, every time I went to the Eiffle Tower, the elevator had already closed for the evening, so I had to be satisfied with a mere eyeful of the Eiffel from the ground level, and the witnessing of some Gypsy kids trying to distract tourist with a spread newspaper while another Gypsy attempted to pick their pocket. The tour of Notre Damme was enjoyable, especially being able to go to the upper balcony and get some good close-up photos of the gargoyle statues with the city as a backdrop. The Arc De Triomphe afforded the best aerial view of the city, at the cost of having some Parisian teenagers yell something in French at me and have a good laugh at my expense.
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Excavations in process at the Louvre during the visit.
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I particularly enjoyed the Louvre, though I only was able to spent about 4 hours there. I concentrated on the Egyptian antiquities, which were quite impressive, and did save some time for the Mona Lisa, Diana the Huntress, the Winged Victory and some of the other must-see items. I really enjoyed the evening strolls along the Champs Elysse and the Seine. Near the Arc De Triomphe there’s a Godiva chocolate shop that I would visit and then go sit and have a Cognac at this little café that sat on the traffic round about that encircles the Arc and watch the patron’s dogs wander aimlessly amid and beneath the tables. Not far from there was a sports shop that had some beautifully made shotguns and rifles for the gentleman hunter on display.
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I have to agree to disagree with Rod Stewart, as to me Paris is a place you can pack the food and drink away, with the fresh Baguettes of French bread and the myriad pates, the croque monsignors at the sidewalk cafes (buttery grilled ham and cheese sandwich served with egg on top), the fish and poultry in white cream sauces and the large variety of delicious French cheeses (does three different cheeses at one sitting make it a fromage et trois?), the rich desserts and of course the French beers, wines and liquors. I found numerous eateries along the Champs Elysse.
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A sidetrip to the Chateau De Versailles is a must, being mere half-hour trains’ ride from Paris. I especially liked the Hall of Mirrors, and the frog’s legs in a Benedictine sauce that I had at an old farm house that was converted into a restaurant.
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Published on Thursday October 24th, 2002
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Fri, Apr 09 2010 - 03:47 AM
 by sujoy
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18 votes
