As I go through my 1000s of photos from the trip, I recalled taking this one. I really love the crisp reflection in the window of this Montmarte area Cafe.
The photo even has a bit of irony if you think about it…and look carefully.
Monthly Archives: September 2009
St. Mark’s square is notorious for it’s abundance of pigeons. The city of Venice outlawed the feeding of pigeons in 2008 and we didn’t see nearly as many as we expected on our visit. They were certainly present, just not in the numbers that I had envisioned, or seen in movies. Maybe pigeons in St. Mark’s will soon be a thing of the past ?
Anyway, I love the expression on this girl. She and her sister were feeding the birds (little criminals), and one of them took her by surprise by landing on her arm. Priceless.
In the grand hall of the Moet & Chandon Estate, they had an enormous chandelier – made of crystal champagne glasses. It was absolutely beautiful, I particularly liked the look from below.
Dusting it, however, would not be something I’d enjoy!
Below: Glen and I wanted to show our respect for ‘the man’.
Addie and I may have spent more than planned. Of course, they take you through the gift shop AFTER pumping you full of delicious bubbly!
Every evening, Parisiens of all ages gather on Pont des Arts to relax, picnic, drink wine, play music & have a good time. You can see students, savvy tourists, lovers & musicians all enjoying that special French “joie de vivre” on one of the most vibrant bridges anywhere. The views of the Eiffel Tower in this distance (with it’s hourly 10-minute twinkle display), the bateaux mouches running visitors up-and-down the Seine all evening, and the view to Ile de la Cite are all part of the magic atmosphere that makes the bridge special.
We spent 2 evenings there during our visit – above is a shot of some musicians on the bridge. They don’t play for money, simply for fun. People around who know the songs join in with vocals – nobody is bothered. Very cool.
On our last evening in Paris, Addie and I enjoyed our bottle of Mumm Champagne on the bridge. We were approached by a complete stranger (local), who asked if we were celebrating an occasion. He was quite surprised to learn that we were tourists, and very excited that we were enjoying the ‘Real Paris’. We chatted for a good 10 minutes with the guy, who was very proud of his city. We assured him that he was justified in his passion – we’re envious of the fortunate residents.
Note for potential visitors: Whatever amount of wine you think you should bring, double it…especially if you don’t have Glen to run back to the apartment to grab another 3 bottles.
I took this one at the end of our long walk, from Eiffel Tower, to l’Arc-de-Triomphe, all the way down les Champs Elisees to Louvre. The sun was just setting and I lucked-in to some really neat light behind the pyramid entrance to the museum.
It’s neat seeing the silhouette of the old palace contrast with the modern pyramid.