Since I don't have anything new to report, I figured I would just post some pictures and stories.
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Church Surprise
As you may recall, I was REALLY in the mood for some spicy Chinese food last week. The place I wanted was closed, but I found another Sichuan spot pretty close to our apartment. After work on Friday I typed the restaurant name into Google Maps and headed off.
After passing the Opera House I walked around a corner and suddenly was standing in front of a beautiful church. (I thought I was pretty familiar with this area, but Paris continues to throw surprises at me!) I quickly snapped a pic with my iPhone:
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| The Église de la Sainte-Trinité, a Roman Catholic church built between 1861 and 1867. |
Crossing the Seine
When my parents visited a few months back we took a walk down by the Seine. As we stood on the ironically named Pont Neuf bridge (it's the oldest bridge in Paris but the name translates to "New Bridge"), I asked, "What do you guys want to do? Do you want to keep walking or head back?"
My Mom looked across the bridge and then back towards our apartment. "Have you seen what's on the other side of the bridge?"
I said, a little excitedly, "No! I haven't crossed over the bridge yet, so I'm not sure what's on the other side."
Mom said, "Well... let's head back then."
Dad and I laughed about that later. Seemed like that conversation was going to have a different outcome; but I think Mom was afraid I would get all of us lost by walking around in unfamiliar territory.
A few weeks after they returned to Colorado I got up early one morning and walked across that bridge to see what was on the other side. Here are some pictures I snapped from the bridge:
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| You can see the Eiffel Tower off in the distance. It was a beautiful morning! |
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| There are 37 bridges in Paris that cross the Seine. |
Seafood Tower
Maybe these things exist all over the world, but until we came to Paris I had never heard of a "Seafood Tower". When I realized that a local restaurant offered one I had to give it a try. It was delicious... especially the oysters.
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| This mini-tower included crab, oysters, shrimp, and shellfish (snail-like cockles, whelks, and winkles). |
Retro Paris
When walking around in Paris it's easy to imagine this city as it used to be. I used a "Time Machine" filter to create this picture:
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| I saw this "Cafe Brasserie" on an early morning walk. |
On the subject of "retro photos", my buddy Steve found some books on the history of each district in Paris. I bought the book for our arrondissement (the 2nd) and found a picture of a park that is only a few blocks from our apartment. Strangely, I had just taken a picture of that same park a few days earlier!
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| Le Square Louvois, built in 1839. The picture on the left was taken in 1905. I took the one on the right. |
American Dream
Not too far from Harry's Bar (creators of the Bloody Mary, and one of Hemingway's favorite haunts), we found a restaurant and bar called "The American Dream". Not sure what I think of the decor, but it's certainly... interesting. Haven't been inside yet.
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| This American Dream restaurant and bar seems to have it all: clowns, Elvis, the Blues Brothers... |
Hair Today Gone Tomorrow
Pretty Simple, the company I work for here in Paris, is kind of amazing. We just got our own barber shop! It's open every Thursday, you just have to make an appointment. Free hair cuts for everyone! |
| Sandy, from La Shaperie, does a great job! (He recently cut the hair of Usher, an American singer.) |
Sainte-Chapelle
During my parent's visit we stopped by a very old gothic church that had absolutely incredible stained glass windows: |
| Sainte-Chapelle is a gothic chapel within the Palais de la Cité, home to the Kings of France until the 14th century. |
This city continues to amaze and inspire me. Every walk is a new adventure. Just this morning I took a walk through the 9th and stumbled on the Moulin Rouge nightclub, and the Montmartre cemetery, which dates back to 1825. I can't wait to see and learn even more!
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