Paris Posting

No, this isn't about Paris Hilton again - it's the real Paris this time. As you guys probably know, I went to Paris at the End of Sept with my friend & neighbor, Claudia. While I've always wanted to see Paris, there were many other places I would have gone first. Having been, I can't wait to go back. It was wonderful! I was afraid Paris would be like an overrated movie where you end up disappointed because it doesn't live up to the hype. Quite the contrary, pictures just don't do it justice. This picture is the Pont Alexandre - the most beautiful bridge in Paris.




















Claudia & I got a personal tour of the Louve & Notre Dame from a friend of a friend that is actually a national tour guide. Thierry was a delight! He was funny, insightful, full of amazing factoids, and knew what to see and how to move through things. The Louve is so overwhelming that you could get stuck in one hall of paintings for the entire day. Notre Dame has so many hidden details that you just can't see them without someone pointing them out. It's just too much to take in. This picture is at the Louvre. The people were wonderful, contrary to popular belief. Have phrase book, will travel. The food and wine definitly lived up to the hype.















Versailles was mind boggling in it's mass and decadance. This picture is barely a 3rd of what you can see from this view. The back is really huge. The fountains and gardens are so beautiful and spectacular. No words can describe. At one point 20,000 people lived in this little "hunting lodge." Just looking at the the ego driven mostrosity made me want to storm the Bastile.




















On Sunday we rode bikes along the Seine and up the Champs-Elysees. We walked for miles & miles & miles and never felt like we entered a bad section of town - though I'm sure there are some. Shopping - well that's a blog posting in its own right but the shortened version was that we had a wonderful time wandering the back streets and shops. Here I am on Sunday on my Tour de Kuzma at the Arc de Triomphe.