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Published: September 7th 2007
Eiffel Tower at Night
The tower is lit with green and white signifying the start of the 2007 Rugby World Cup which kicks-off tomorrow.Hey everyone-
Well, today was my first full day in Paris and the last day before the beginning of my global reporting class. So I decided it was the perfect day to do touristy things. So forgive the postcard-type pictures.
I woke up late still suffering slightly from jet lag. My apartment is a small attic near the Bastille (the spot where the French Revolution really kicked off). Since I am history buff, I love Paris. I am anxiously awaiting a trip to see where they guillotined Louis XVI; More on that later in the week.
But today, I met my professor and classmates at the Eiffel Tower for a boat tour on the Seine River. It was fantastic despite being pretty chilly. All the buildings and architecture are unlike anything I have seen. You’ll see very quaint structures and then you’ll happen by a government-looking building where they’ll tell you Marie Antoinette was kept before her execution. Yeah, and I get all excited to show my visiting friends at home the Sears Tower. Now I feel embarrassed.
We later went to a café around the block from the tower and had a good meal. The guy
Seine at Night
The Seine River runs through the heart of Paris and is the gateway to many of the city's historic sites. next to me ordered escargot. I was not that brave.
After dinner, I decided to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower to see why everyone calls Paris the City of Light. I got in line and when I was 10 people away from buying a ticket they announced that the top floor was closed. So much for that. I will try again later this week.
I finished my first day walking the Champs-Elysees and seeing the Arc de Triomphe at night. Pretty spectacular. I was a little disappointed that the Champs-Elysees was so commercialized. It reminded me a lot of Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, unfortunately, and it was a little weird to see a monument dedicated to France’s fallen within a block of a bustling McDonald’s.
But, the part of Paris that agrees with me the most is the sense of history in this city. Americans, it seems, have a strong sense of history and identity but it is nothing compared to Parisians. Paris and its history are intertwined and that's unlike any place that I have seen in the United States. And it’s not just history for history’s sake either. I love Washington DC and
The Arc
Go Napoleon. the National Mall very much but compared with Paris our history is not as integrated into our cities. The Mall is pretty manufactured with monuments whereas the prison where they kept the French royalty before chopping off their heads is not. Every place you turn in Paris it seems something historic happened at that very spot. And the Parisians find a way to memorialize that space and still function within it. So for me, this place is very interesting.
Strangely, I couldn’t help but think that the same street American troops marched down to help liberate the French from Nazi occupation was now filled with dance clubs and high-end shops. Times change, I guess.
There is way too much history here to digest in a single day and, therefore, I am thankful I have more time here. Versailles on Saturday. Louvre on Sunday.
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Aunt Lisa
non-member comment
Dude...this is soooo cool
This is the most entertainment we have had in a long time!!! Keep it up. And by the way, I would think you would be happy that you learned "garcon", as you will definitely be using it!!!! Wear your belt!