05 July 2004 Paris I almost kissed the French soil when we arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport. It took me a while to figure out the train system for the journey into Paris. By 8PM I was dragging my luggage from Les Invalides metro station along Avenue de Tourville. As I climbed the station steps I noticed the Eiffel Tower in the distance. I had made it out of Russia.

My first evening in Paris was delightful. As I walked past the spectacular Les Invalides I tried to be excited after 18 stressful hours. All I wanted to is get into bed. I caught a second wind, however, when I looked out the window of my Hotel Splendide room and caught sight of the Eiffel Tower. Wow! After stowing my belongings I went outside to get a Diet Coke and walk the streets for a bit. I did sit on the ledge of Ecole Militaire to view the illiminated tower. I think this will be a good last stop on my European tour.

06 July 2004 Paris I had wanted to sleep a great deal today after the past several grueling days, but I woke up early. After slowly organizing myself I set out to explore Paris. I was determined to walk the Seine from near the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame. The river is about a half a mile north of Hotel Splendid. I could not have been more pleased with my decision. It was one wonder after another: Le Grand Palais, Pont Alexandre III, Les Invalides, Les Halles, The Louvre, gradens, trees, river-side stands, many bridges, tour boats and buses, and finally Notre Dame. At this great cathedral the tourists were thick and somewhat pushy, so I decided to wander off the main drag. Before that I took a look at the interior of Notre Dame. I was not terribly impressed, perhaps because I am growing weary of cathedrals.

There are eccentric characters in Paris and especially in Rive Gauche, the Left Bank, but it was an enjoyable exploration. The shops were more residential oriented than tourist magnets, and I love getting the feel of the folks who live in a city. Running into tourists all day long doesn't do it for me. I watched construction workers awhile, amusing myself by reconciling big, dirty, burly men who spoke French. For some reason it took some time to put all the pieces of that picture together. It always amazes me, as well, how much cheaper Diet Coke is in a residential neighborhood than in a tourist area. That has been consistently true throughout Europe. It has been as much as four times more expensive for tourists.

Eventually I reached the Louvre area. I am not sure that I will visit the museum, being a bit sick and tired of museums, as well as cathedrals. Across from the Louvre is Les Halles, several blocks of shops under arched walkways, which was a great escape from the hot sun. After a couple of blocks, I jumped on the metro and returned to the hotel.

Later in the evening I went back out to look at the Eiffel tower once again. This time it was glittering with flashing lights. It was enchanting.

I am beginning to like this place.

07 July 2004 Paris The prediction was for a very rainy day; it turned out to be a topsy-turvy day of sun, rain and wind. It started out cool enough to require a jacket. In anticipation of inclimate weather I set about personal business tasks. Wanting to make sure I got to London on Sunday, I first went to Gare Nord to purchase a ticket to London-Waterloo. I have been here before; twice, to be exact. The first time was in a bit of a panic, last April. I was traveling on Thalys from Brussels to Milan, without realizing that I needed to change train stations in Paris. Disembarking at Gare Nord, I needed to catch the train to Milan at Gare Lyon. Today I was much more comfortable, and the ticket purchase was a breeze. I believe I have managed the Paris Metro, although I am still confused about Metro and RER. Perhaps someone will educate me on that.

I walked around the neighborhood near Gare Nord. It appears to be predominately a community of African immigrants. I had the best ever McDonalds bacon cheeseburger today. The fact that a family of three spilled their drinks near my table gave me a scare. Back to the Metro, I jumped aboard to return to the Latin Quarter, which I love. There I found the church of St. Severin. It is a lovely 13th century church with a masterpiece of arches. The cloudy sky cast a dark in the church that enhanced the arches with the faint lights casting mysterious shadows and illuminated arch-sections. Thunder cracked, and the rain poured. St. Severin was a great refuge from the storm. I sat on a bench behind the altar and noticed a large plaque listing the parish's casualties during WWI. In the four or five years of that war 280 sons of this parish alone were killed. That bloody conflict exacted enormous sacrifice.

As the rain let up I decided to walk through the quarter again. Even in the rain Paris is lovely, but I thought it better to return to the hotel and finish other indoor tasks. As I rose from the Ecole Militaire metro station I looked for a laundromat. It was directly across the street from the front door of my hotel! So I packed my dirty clothes and did my laundry. It was fairly quiet in the Laverie Self, with only a few people quickly doing their wash. One woman came in to wash her thick set of drapes, but the big washing machine had just been loaded. I had the sense that she was trying to ask me when it would be done. All I could think of was, "Encore dix minutes, mama." Those who took French with Mr. Laprade may find that humorous; I know I did.

With the laundry done, I wanted to take advantage of the clearing skies and beautiful evening. The metro delivered me to Bastille station. There I walked around a bit through the many streets; it is a delightful place. However, I didn't linger, wanting to walk along the Seine as the sun set. It was a great decision. After walking along the Port de L'Arsenal I wound up east of Ile St. Louis. The view and feeling was simply great all the way to Notre Dame on Ile de la Cite. The setting sun and distant clouds provided a splendid backdrop for the massive cathedral and cityscape.

I lingered awhile knowing that I had fallen in love with this city, and I must confess that the French have been nothing but pleasant and friendly.

08 July 2004 Paris This city is even beautiful in the rain. I am told the weather we are having is quite unusual. It was another day of wind, sun, rain, clouds. One minute a jacket was needed, and the next a jacket was far too warm. Despite the weather, I am even more in love with Paris. In the morning I took the metro to Concorde to walk the the full length of the Champs d'Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. Apparently there is a parade along the famous street in the near future; I assume it is on the 14th for Bastille Day. Workers were constructing stands on each side of the street, so the viewing was somewhat obstructed by work sites. It was a good stroll with many people crowding the broad sidewalks, especially the nearer I approached the Arch.

I was having intestinal problems and returned to the hotel for a rest. With the off-and-on rain it turned out to be a good day to catch a nap, which I did for one hour. After resting I re-boarded the subway and headed for Montmartre to see Sacre Couer, a famous church on one of the higher points of Paris. The steep streets were a chore to climb, as were the lengthy stairs. Sacre Couer is a beautiful church, particularly the interior. The exterior is a bit eccentric, but the interior is very attractive. I was fascinated by the prominent gargoyles on the exterior. There is a great view of a good portion of Paris from the front steps of the edifice.

The good subway system is a great way to get around the city, and it made for a fast way back to the hotel for a light dinner. Around 10PM I decided to walk to the Eiffel Tower for a nighttime viewing. It is massive. Standing directly under it is very impressive. On the way back I decided to walk around the full periphery of Les Invalides. Soldiers with automatic weapons guarded both sites.

The walk in the cool, misty night was a good opportunity to think about my European tour. The 80 days of travel in thirteen nations has been a great education for me. I am thankful. With only two full days in Paris remaining, I am a little regretful for not having learned more. Perhaps I'll get back to Europe to fill in some blanks.

09 July 2004 Paris The weather continues to be primarily cool and damp. I probably am not seeing as much of the tourist sites as I should, but I am enjoying the feel of Paris. However, it seems that every time I go outside it begins raining. I go inside, and the clouds clear! The evening turned out to be spectacular, though.

Until late afternoon I spent most of the day near the hotel, checking out residential neighborhoods and shops. But around 5PM I decided to explore a new part of Paris. The Bastille, of course, is an important part of French history, and I wanted to see where it stood. I took the metro to Bastille and ventured through the streets. It is another enchanting neighborhood. Once again I am struck that this is a city of restaurants, attesting to the fact that Europe loves to eat!

Facing a stiff breeze I walked along the canal that runs to the Seine. It was very peaceful, not many people along this waterway. When I did reach the Seine the evening unfolded gorgeously. I slowly walked along the upper promenade of the Seine's north bank. In time I was on the Ile Saint Louis, and a beautiful sunset provided a dramatic background for Notre Dame, as can be seen in the banner photo above. It was a magical evening that made me fall in love with this city all the more. On the Ile de Cite I the crowds grew, and they exploded in the Latin Quarter. This was my first visit to this youthful section of the city after sunset. It is very lively.

After a meandering stroll I reboarded the metro at St. Michel station and returned to the hotel. It was an evening to remember.

10 July 2004 Paris The wet weather afforded an opportunity to catch on my website work, and I did that for most of the afternoon. The highlight, once again, was the evening. The weather cleared spectacularly for another breath-taking sunset. I decided to walk to L'Arc de Triomphe and catch a night time view of the monument. The quiet and lonely walk along Avenue Bosquet, across Pont de l'Alma, and along Avenue George was just what I wanted. It turned out to be a good choice before I reached the hustle of Champ d'Elysees. This is quite the street at night. It has the feel of a safe Time Square.

I know that in recent days a Jewish woman was attacked by a group of racists, but I, perhaps stupidly, feel completely safe here. Certainly in contrast to Moscow, I have no fears at all for my personal well-being. That fact along with the pervasive beauty makes for a great city to visit. I am so pleased that I did not give in to my prior inclination to skip Paris. And I am even more pleased that my preconceptions about Paris and the French have been dashed; I am completely impressed with the friendliness of the people here. They put up with many tourists, but they seem to enjoy them.

I want to come back here.

11 July 2004 Paris to London I am aboard the Eurostar train from Gare du Norde in Paris to the Waterloo Station in London. It's a great way to wrap up my travels in Europe. On this early Sunday afternoon the skies aee mostly cloudy, and we had a few sprinkles this morning. It looks like some of the wheat in the fields adjoining the tracks has been harvested. But I would imagine that it has been too wet in recent days to get into the fields.

Paris has been lovely, and I shall miss it. I do intend to return to the most beautiful city I have visited in the past 80 days. I am also looking forward to returning to London. Although it is an overnight stay, I have enjoyed every minute there in hte past. Tomorrow it is back to the USA. I don't look forward to the flight from London to Washington, but I am excited about getting home.