My Trip to Paris
(See blog from 8-10 May 2004)

This are the people movers at Charles De Gaulle Airport. Even though the picture is grainy, I hope you can see how cool this is. (This isn't in the terminal where they had the tragic accident a few weeks after I was there.) I was in awe as I rode through one of these; a surreal, science-fiction experience. I loved it.

My trip to hotel: It was raining and I took this picture from the bus, but I loved the huge Samsung structure. Off-beat, but cool.

The Etoile Park Hotel. A lovely, family-owned small hotel near the Arc de Triomphe.

The Arch was so gorgeous and so much larger than I imagined. You can see people at the top of the arch in the third picture. In the first one you can see the Eiffel Tower in the background.

On Sunday the first thing I did was visit Notre Dame. The first two pictures look over the Seine toward Notre Dame, which has scaffolding on one tower.

It's much larger than it appears in this picture.

I asked a kindly Japanese tourist to take my picture.

I was so moved by the statue of St. Joan of Arc. Wish it was clearer.

One of the many altars in the cathedral.

I didn't get a picture of the main altar, but did attend Mass there. The next picture was right after Mass. I'd stopped at a souvenir shop and bought the scarf for €5 (5 Euros).

Palace of Justice

The Seine near Notre Dame with the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

The Hotel de Ville--very near Notre Dame, on my long walk back to the hotel. Went to the Tuillieries, the Louvre, and down the Champs Elysses.

Flower shops were everywhere. Walking by them was an aromatic pleasure.

My first glimpse of the Louvre. Thought this was all there was to it. Couldn't have been more wrong.

More glimpses of the huge museum.

In this one you can see a maze in the foreground and the Arc de Carousel marking the entrance to the Tuillieries Jardin (really beautiful gardens).

I wasn't able to get close to the Mona Lisa, but the Venus de Milo and Winged Victory weren't surrounded by people.

I loved the ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan artifacts.

The Tuilleries--the spire in the background is the Place de Concorde

Title: You'd cry too if you had a log up your butt.

Place de Concorde

Walking down the Champs Elysees, this sight was a surprise.

Grand Palais

I take a picture of the ubiquitous McDonald's in every country.

No trip to Paris is complete without the Eiffel Tower experience.

Once I got down from the foggy heights, I was able to see the sights again. Walking home on the Avenue George V I noticed an American Cathedral. The pulpit was a gold American eagle.