Think About It. Paris Questions. Those who know that Mary and I recently returned from Paris have asked at least one of three questions. Has it changed much since you were there before? Did you see the Eiffel Tower? Did you take lots of pictures? The answers are Yes and No, You have no choice, and No. In fact there were some things missing and a few added, while a certain sameness was quite comforting. Four generations of Weavers have been born since my first visit. Thanks to all of them, the recent visit was made possible by an unimaginable Christmas gift. Consider, transportation, lodging and enough cash for the great food and wine that I never dreamed of affording on my first visit in 1952.
It may come as a surprise to you that the once ubiquitous French beret has gone the way of the baguette strapped to the back of a bicycle. The only berets we saw were in the many tourist shops clustered near Notre Dame and on the head of an ersatz artist selling mass-produced paintings at the top of Montmartre. His outfit was right out of a C movie in old Hollywood. It made me happy to know that on my first visit a turtle neck sweater and thin mustache served to invite the provincials to ask this then young American for directions on the Metro. As for baguettes, the most public displays were sticking out of a paper bag stuffed into larger bag of something carried by shoppers. Still nothing so good with fresh unsalted butter or real yoghurt with no sucrose-infused fruit.
Perhaps the greatest disappointment was my former hotel haunt. The modest Mont Blanc on the quiet Rue de la Huchette had recently been purchased, chopped up, and made available to those wanting to stay on a teeming street now a middle eastern bizarre. On the plus side was a minor joy in any American-made movie based in Paris. The emergency vehicles still blast their familiar two-tone sirens as they travel (whether or not they are in a hurry). Sometimes, instead of donuts, they are simply nibbling a tasty tart.
The Tower? Like many important landmarks, it is visible from many locations, thanks to careful planning of a city that sets the standard for world class. Photos in Paris without the superb structure require shooting a close-up with skill and planning.
As for photographs, we took a few that interested us. Others have taken better pictures of famous places than we could dream of composing. We’ll post some from time to time. Most of our day was spent simply living, passing the time at sidewalk cafes and visiting the garden grounds of the many parks, like the Tuilleries and Luxembourg castle. Since we stayed near more colleges and universities per block than any place on earth, at day’s end we could be found hanging out at La Place de la Sorbonne listening to a local musicians while drinking the obligatory glass of wine.
Even though you didn’t ask, as our memories surface we’ll answer more Paris Questions. Think About It.
P.S. Be sure to click on listen and look.