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Published: November 9th 2005
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View of Eiffel Tower
from the top of Le Pompidour. I followed up the trip to Spain with an immediate trip to Paris. Savitra came to Europe again on a business trip, and I was offered to stay the weekend. This meant that I was to hop on a train the morning after I got back from Madrid. At 6:00am my body begrudgingly awoke to the disturbance of the alarm on my mobile phone. Quickly I folded up the laundry I had just done the night before, and off I went to the Rotterdam Centraal train station. At 11:30am, after a switch of trains in Brussels to the super fast Thalys train, I found myself in Paris, for the third time in my life.
The first time I was in Paris, I found the people rude, especially whenever I had to turn to English to explain my needs. The second time, my judgment of the French was largely unchanged. This third time, however, I was pleasantly surprised at how welcoming Parisians had become. My first task in Paris was to use the subway ticket machine. My puzzled face somehow caught the attention of the woman who had just used the machine; just as fast as she had left the machine,
Le Pompidour
People lining up to get into the famous modern art museum. she returned, unsolicited, to help me, just as she had done for the bewildered tourists before her. Whoever you were, thanks again!
Finding the correct subway train took another fifteen minutes. A passenger took advantage of the opened gate, after I got through, to jump in without a ticket. The chaos continued on the train, with people of all colors crowding the train. With my heavy bags weighing me down and the breath of other tourists suffocating me in the older Parisian subway, I was sure this was why Parisians have a distaste for anyone non-French in their capital.
With five hours until I meet up with Savitra, I checked myself and my bags into the amazing Musee d’Orsay. The art collection there spans from the mid-1800s to early-1900s, and it is organized chronologically. For once I decided to go through the collection in the order suggested. After a quick snack to boost my blood-sugar level, I spent the next four hours going through the museum. The highlight for me consisted of the works by Picasso, Monet, and Van Gogh. I was not so impressed with Manet, Pisarro, and other impressionists that the Museum was also famous for.
The Louvre
Savitra in front of the Louvre, with that controversial pyramid by I.M. Pei. The sketches by a bunch of Russian artists also caught my ideas. Their work was amazingly reminiscent of Japanese anime, though I believe the sketches actually predate anime. Could it be that anime had its origins in Russia?
I met with Savitra at the Republique metro station, checked into the hotel, and had a nice French dinner. I had lapin, which turned out to be rabbit. And yes, it tasted like chicken, very delicious chicken indeed. The service was scarce but nice. As French servers get paid on salary and not on tips, restaurants are always short-handed.
The next day we strolled to downtown Paris, following a path adjacent to the Seine River. Along the way we had some Algerian desserts and some warm, buttery croissants. I can still taste the yumminess in my mouth. The neighborhood we stayed in was relatively scarce of tourists, so it actually felt like we were in the real France, including the mix of immigrants. Once we got to downtown, though, one is immediately overwhelmed with the hoards of tourists. France gets about the equivalent of its population in tourists every year. One can understand why Parisians complain about tourists. Unfortunately for
KABLOWEEE!
The police blowing up an unclaimed backpack at the Louvre. THis is the same weekend when the French riots started. Scary. Parisians, the scheme to trap all tourists in Paris Disney did not work. The beauty of the city is simply irresistible.
For lunch we met with Savitra’s French colleague, Pierre. Pierre said that he works about 36 hours a week. His equivalent job in the U.S. could easily take up to 70 hours a week. The French has decided that life is more important than work. I can’t say I disagree. Too bad I don’t speak enough French to move to France. After lunch we strolled to the Louvre, where we witnessed the police blowing up a bag someone had left unattended next to the infamous glass pyramid. To wear off the excitement, we spent a few hours having some cocktails at a video bar with ultra-trendy décor. The French definitely have the element of style down pat. Then it was dinner time, and we had some delicious Chinese-Thai food. The Asian restaurants in Europe tended to have mixed cuisines, though true to the French locale the food was excellent.
Savitra left early Sunday morning for the U.S., while I spent the day at Le Pompidour Art Center and Musee Picasso. As I love contemporary art, Le Pompidour was a real treat. The building is known for its exposed façade; that is, its HVAC (piping and other infrastructure) system is decorated and visible from the outside. Musee Picasso was less of a thrill, as I had earlier seen his major works in New York, Berlin, and Madrid. My favorite part was seeing the original plaster models of the bronze pieces that I had seen in Berlin. I rushed through the museum, but barely had time to make it to the train. After a few hours I was back in the real life of the less glamorous Rotterdam. Though I have been to Paris three times already, I am sure I will be going back there again someday. I love Paris.
PS I didn't know it at the time, but the suburbs of Paris was undergoing rioting. That can explain some of the tenseness I felt while I was there, particularly on the trains that also go to the suburbs.
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laheem lamar
non-member comment
dammit
ok now im getting jealous...