Paris, je t'aime

Bonjour, mes amis

I have been in France for a grande total of three days and am having a wonderful time. Just from the outset, I should point out that the 'y' key is in a drastically different place on this keyboard, so apologis for any insane spellinsgs. The flight here was long, but pleasant enough and, most importantly, screaming baby-free. Once we arrived at Charles de Gaulle, things got a bit overhwlming. That airport is gigantic and busy at all hours of the day. Put that on top of finding our way to our hotel near the Bastille when we have no idea how transit in this city operates and two immensae and clunky suitcases, and you have yourself a party. All things said and done, though, we arrived at our hotel alive and well after a few near misses and slight miscalculations with regard to the 'walk-don't-walk' system. People in this city who drive must wish to die. I have never been more terrified watching cars moving as I am here. No lines on the roads, complete disregard for the colours red and green. Happily, I get around well below street level on easily the most efficient and reliable transit system on the planet. We arrived in Paris on a beautiful, sunny morning at 8:30 am and spent most of the day getting settled in our vibrant neighbourhood. Bed came early as 24 sleep-free hours weighed heavy on us.

We wasted no time in going to see the city the next morning. Our first stop was, predictable, the Eiffel Tour. We did, however, overlook the fact that it was May 1st., May Day, a very important labour holiday in Europe. as a result, the streets, gardens and the tower itself were packed with people, which, while maybe a bit overhwelming, certainly made for an exciting atmosphere as we walked from the Tour across the Seine to the Place de le Trocadero and then took the moetro to the Arc de Triomphe and meadered down the Champs élysée. THe sun was bright, the skies blue, and the wine at the street-side brasserie cold as we people-watched on the champs. For the record, Paris is filled with the best-looking people on the planet. Somehow, people here combine bohemian chic, chongo, mod and hipster seamlessly into a whole lot of great outfits that make me feel like a chumpy tourist. Which, to be fair, I am, but still. We turned off the Champs and passed le Grand Palais and le Petit Palais, a couple major art museums, and headed toward the absolutely stunning Hodel des Invalides, home to a military museum and spectacular views of the Eiffel Tower, the Champs, the Seine, and the Grand Palais. From here, we headed back across the river and to the Place de Concorde and into the Tuileries, an incredible garden that lies ahead of the Musee du Louvre. After taking a few pictures and having a rest on the lawns with a drink of water, we headed back ip the champs to grab the metro back toward the Tour for dinner and to see it illuminated. When the Tour is all lit up, it is truly stunning and a site definitely worth taking in. Exhausted from our day, we grabbed a train back to our stop and turned in for the night.

Today brought more adventure (and more walking) as we headed to the Musee du Louvre itself and did the epic hustle through the Saturday crowds. It may not be possible to see all of the Louvre in a single go, but dammit if we didn't try our very best, and appreciated a good deal of it along the way. Of course, we pushed our way through agitated crowds and self-righteous tour groups to see highlights like the Mona Lisa, Madonna of the Rocks and the Venus de Milo, but I 'd say that the Louvre itself as a piece of architecture was the most spectacular of all. If the French know one thing, it's how to make the ostentatious truly spectacular.

Paris, so far, has been a fascinating city. I'm struck, overall, by two main characteristics which seem to manifest themselves all throughout the metropolitain area. First, Paris looks a lot like history's testing ground. In a singe block, you can see mixed incredibly ostentatious Monarchial-age structures, modernist\brutalist big-box apartments and whimsical postmodern experiments in the intersection of form, function, technology and fantasy. The trip from the airport to our hotel revealed, side-by side, the failures and successes of centuries of urban experimenation and regimentation, leading to a truly and sometimes bewilderingly diverse city. The upside of all that structural madness? Legitimate social vibrancy. As we left the Eiffel Tower, we passed by groups of people sitting on the lawns with bottles of wine, books, guitars, and shared food, laughing and singing together. Young people gather on corners ourside shops here not just waiting to cross the street, but to talk and joke with one another. Every single restaurant turns out to the street, not inward to the building. It's a fascinating, dynamic place where nothing is really separate from anything else. Perhaps this is suprising because France has such a long and storied history of being a place of 'high culture.' But in modern Paris, the Louvre offers just as much artistic and social excitement as the street culture just beyond its walls.

I AM SICK OF TYPING ON THIS KEYBOARD. It feels like Quest for Fire. Updates in the next few day on the second bit of Paris and the first bit of Aix. Apologies again for horrid spelling and punctuation. This computer doesn't spell-correct me like my self-righteous Mac. Bon soir.

ALSO. I have tons of pictures, but no way of uploading them. Patience, friends!