June 26, 2005
Paris.
Today, I sent my older son off to Paris. He's studying law, and Cornell Law School runs a five-week program there. I've been to Paris twice, and I haven't been to every city in the world, but, with my limited experience, I think Paris is the most beautiful city. What is more wonderful than to travel to a great city and just walk around and see? I wait for John's photographs and messages. I'm thinking about Paris today.
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9 comments:
Ann,
How exciting! I spent my junior year of college studying in Paris (met my wife there; wonderful memories). I agree that Paris is the most beautiful large city in the world.
Will he be staying with a French family? Where in they city will he be living?
Yes, my number one recommendation is the Rodin Museum!
I highly recommend the Impressionism Museum in the old Orsay train station: like the Rodin Museum, beautiful art in a beautiful setting.
I loved going underground to see the foundations of the medieval and renaissance Louvre castle.
Yes, the d'Orsay, the Rodin Museum, and the Picasso Museum, and Notre Dame were my top recommendations for things to go into. My real top recommendation is just to walk around.
Actually, on the walls of my law school office, I have five posters. They are all from the Musee d'Orsay.
I love Notre Dame, but my favorites among religious architecture were the Sainte Chapelle (very near to ND, high gothic, and almost impossibly beautiful) and Sacre Coeur in Montmartre. You used to be able to climb to the top for a great view of the city.
A friend of mine has a tattoo of a Camille Claudel statue on her forearm. When she went to the Claudel museum in Paris they were so delighted when they saw it, they let her in for free...
No one in Paris was ever mean to me. I'd heard all these stories, but it just wasn't true for me. I did always address people in French. They never corrected me, but usually spoke back to me in English. I tried to follow whatever the customs were that I could observe, such as saying "Bonjour" on entering a shop and "Merci" on leaving. I never tried to argue for exceptions to any rules. If someone ordered me to do something, I'm sure I followed the rules.
I had an experience like yours at a museum in London. I had my trip through the Portrait Gallery timed to go to the closing time, but they began empty out the rooms beginning in the back, so I didn't get to see all the rooms. I tried to argue a little and I was sharply informed that I'd have to follow their approach. I felt pretty put out. So should I be irked at the English?
What about the unisex bathrooms in Paris?
I had a girlfriend some years ago who had a bad experience with a creep who tried to assault her in a unisex bathroom and a constablery which wouldn't even deign to accept a statement from her since she wasn't a fluent French speaker and an American tourist.
I know this is only one incident, but I also know that Ann has a fondness for unisex bathrooms.
And I know I am probably alone, but I find Los Angeles in all its vastness, grime and glitz to be beautiful.
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