The Eiffel Tower is an impressive structure, and I suspect I will remember the feeling I had when I stole my first glimpse of it peering through the trees. I took plenty of pictures from the ground, but unfortunately none of myself with the tower as I never really mastered the self-portrait technique of holding the camera away at an arm’s length. After some time walking around the base of the tower, I began the ascent up the stairs. (If you can climb the stairs by the library parking lot at WPI, then you can climb stairs anywhere). The first level offered a panoramic view of the city that was exciting and left me wanting to be able to send the images to all of you immediately so that you could share the experience. After circling the platform, I began the ascent to the second platform, but turned back about ¾ of the way up because I was becoming disinterested and hungry. I may be wrong, but I suspect that the first platform offers a view somewhat comparable to the second. Furthermore, I’ve seen aerial shots of cities before, so once the initial excitement had waned, I was left with a generic aerial view from far away where details cannot be appreciated. And Paris, for me at least, is all about the details: the quaint red flowers growing in every flower box, the narrow streets, and the beautiful buildings. A view of far away rooftops could not compete with my lunchtime hunger, fierce competition for anyone/thing. All this being said, I maintain that the Eiffel Tower is a must-see because it is iconic and synonymous with Paris, and because the park immediately surrounding the tower is charming.
Later in the week I visited the Centre Pompidou.
Well, “visited” is an inappropriate word choice as I did not enter the building, but observed its exterior, which is a visual feast. I hear the building houses a library and museum of sorts. The building in ultra modern and seems out of place in its location: the huge steel piping of the Centre Pompidou is juxtaposed against an old, Gothic church. The architecture and stylistic details of Centre Pompidou are slightly outside my taste; however, I do plan to revisit the building for a closer look and to venture inside.
Paris is the first city in which I have extensively utilized the Public Transportation system, and what a system it is. The Metro stations are clean, and run on time and frequently. I can get into the heart of the city in ten minutes, and once inside can go anywhere in the city with ease. Essentially, I take a look at the map and play a game of “connect the dots” to determine my path. Perhaps this is how all public transit systems work, but I’ve always avoided them in the past because the maps, schedules, etc have not been user friendly enough. Because the metro stops are plentiful, getting lost on the street is not a problem. If I don’t recognize my surroundings, I simply keep walking to find new surroundings that I do recognize or the nearest Metro stop- whatever happens first. Piece of cake.
And now, a few miscellaneous observations to share with you:
Converse sneakers are cool again. In Paris, at least. I expected to see Parisian women gallivanting around it sky-high stilettos, and men marching the streets in chic penny loafers (or whatever fashionable French men wear for shoes). Well, some Parisian women and men have proved my initial estimation to be accurate. However, Converse sneakers are everywhere- men, women, children, teenagers. Reasonably dressed people all across Paris are opting for Converse sneakers. Who would have guessed??
Sunglasses are another everyday oddity here. Does anyone wear them? Those of you who spend any time with me know well that I insist on wearing oversized, dark sunglasses from sun rise to sun set, if not longer, and sometimes wear them inside, too. Here, though, I’ve seen very few people wearing sunglasses - and we’ve had sunny weather (thankfully). Bizarre.
Another societal difference that I discovered within the past few days is that French schools are not in session on Wednesdays. I have no idea why the French have opted for this schedule structure, but it does complicate the work week for people with school-aged children. The solution? “Mother Wednesdays”, of course! I’m told that many women do not work on Wednesdays since their children are not in school, and by granting them the day off, the mothers can tend to and spend time with the children. There was no mention in the conversation of “Father Wednesdays”, although I’m sure some fathers have the day off from work as well. I am unsure of how the concept of “Mother Wednesdays” plays out in more aggressive and competitive work environments, but I was led to believe, on the whole, that companies and mothers are in agreement, and that the mothers appreciate and enjoy this benefit. (I will also note here that the French work a 35 hour work week, and have five weeks of paid holiday. I suppose those advantages help to offset the 70% the government takes from your paycheck for taxes each month, but I digress).
On an unrelated, technical note, I have experienced complications with both my internet connection and laptop, so please pardon the delay in blog updates and email responses. I am still alive and well, and enjoy and appreciate your emails, but if I am slow to respond, the reason is technical in nature, and as a result, often out of my hands. Also, I have loved seeing that the blog has new “followers”-- I was wondering if anyone/ who has been reading along. I don’t know what “following” a blog entails exactly, but it made me smile nonetheless. So, keep on following!
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