"He went to Paris for answers"

Sorry about the delay in blogging, I had a cold that slowed me down. We still did a lot. But when I got to hotel, I was short on energy.

On Friday in Paris, we walked. By now, we were experienced Metro Riders so we got quickly to the Citi'. Riding the Metro in Paris is the  history of France. Want a Louis- any Louis - take the M1. Want the Revolution take the M4 and transfer to the M1. Want the Bastille, get off at the Bastille stop.

We started Friday at Norte Dame. We stopped and had coffee.. We really got into the coffee thing.

The cathedral front facade is imposing, but not awe inspiring. Perhaps, that reflects the Middle Ages view of God. There were the expected crowds in front and a line of athletic-minded tourists on the left side of the cathedral ready to climb to the top of the bell tower. By the way, the sound of the bells are cool. They apparently retire bells. Along the side of the Cathedral, there are bells neatly stored and they have names.

The real views of the Cathedral are the rear and the view across the Seine. The Cathedral is a narrow long structure which makes sense once you think about Middle Age construction and the limitations of the flying buttress It is the view of the rear of the Cathedral that instills grandeur. It is the ascension of the buttresses and the spires that has inspired the painter, the photographer and the postcard.

There is a lovely garden and then, the bridge over the Seine where lovers and couples symbolize their unending love with brass locks. There is a adman for a bike lock company somewhere saying "Harry, I told you it would work".

Crossing the bridge, we wandered the Left Bank. Left Bank does have a feel to it. For the first time, I feel that I was walking somewhere that I have read about. Let me explain. I have always been a great reader of Hemingway. I love the Nick Adams stories. I have read "The Sun Also Rises" three times (this book and "Catcher on the Rye" I read the beginning of every decade to see if I grown up yet). I actually enjoy the "Movable Feast". This romanticism of Hemingway took us to the "Shakespeare & Co.".

The store is an active book store. There is a small section for the expected "Lost Generation" authors. But, there are best sellers and wide range of titles. There is a very interesting section on the store and its owners.

The defining moment was the reading room. You climb an old narrow staircase with books on both sides. Then, you pass through an anteroom and a door. It is a photograph. It no longer takes imagination, you are there. Hemingway just left for coffee. Fitzgerald forgot his lighter. For that second in time, it is your reality. It is the window and the light. Not a Woody Allen fan, but he got the light right.

You see it in the blue sky and the clouds. The impressionists painted what they saw.

Enough. I did learn that European buildings follow the decimal system with a zero, the ground level floor is "0" so our fifth floor room is actually on the American 6th floor - (trust me you get use to it).

After the bookstore, we went to lunch. Betty has great instincts on restaurants. Trust me it is not easy. There are restaurants on every corner since in Paris. And there are often six corners to an intersection. This great restaurant was just down the street from the bookstore.

I discovered that waiters do not speak English. They speak "waiter" language which is useful in Spanish, Italian, English, Chinese etc.. They know how to take your order in all those languages.
Our waiter was the exception. He was not fluent but he knew how to make communication fun.

"Do you want your group photo taken. Of course, let me take it again. You need to smile."

"Where is the washroom" and with a smile, he says we don't have one and starts to laugh as he points the stairs.

I had a ham and cheese omelet. Betty had chicken and said it was delicious.

After lunch we began to walk. We crossed the Pont Neuf - who said the French had no sense of humor.

We walked along the Seine using the lower level closer to the river. We came back to street level at the Lourve. We walked the gardens of Louvre. 

As we walked about 9 miles this day ( I have a Fitbit). We saw the Eiffel Tower. Actually, I saw the top of the Eiffel Tower. I realize how small "Tourist Paris"is.  Like Chicago, if you stay within the tourist areas - you see but do you know? We were fortunate because of Betty's plan to stay in a small boutique hotel in the very non-tourist and very hip neighborhood of Paris called Luxemburg Gardens. Together with my failures with the Metro and the adventure of the train from the airport, we got a broad view of Paris.

Late afternoon we strolled the Champs Elysees with cool weather, sun and clouds.

The Champs Elysees is in two sections. The first section we walked was a park. It is a broad typical French park. There are two pedestrian lanes on each side lined with matching trees. The footpath is granite dust. Formal at the same time informal.

The second section is the shopping. The French have learned English as part of their shopping experience. There is Gap, Banana Republic and Nike. But, they do have a five story Louis Vutton.

We stopped for my beer (I order Beer because I can say the brand) and Betty ordered coffee. We stay and people watch. Everyone does it. The check seldom comes quickly and we rest.

We take the Metro back to the hotel and view the Eiffel Tower fully. Next time.

Tomorrow, the Night Train to Milano.
: