Thursday, June 26, 2008

Saturday

My one day in Paris was interesting. It reminded me of visiting the Memphis zoo with Aunt Dorothy. We dashed from place to place with my bags in tow, stopping only long enough to say, "Wow! How beautiful," snap a shot, and head off to the next sight. Sheila kept saying, "Have I told you how glad I am that you're here? And that you speak English?" as we rushed from place to place.We went from the airport (decorated with large spins of the Mona Lisa) . . .


to Notre Dame . . .




walked along the Seine . . .


to the Louvre . . . .



and then to the Arc de Triomphe, where we triumphed over our hunger by eating some homemade cookies from my dad!



After our mad dash through the sights, we used the Paris subway system to go to Sheila's friend Collette's house.



Collette is a missionary supported by Sheila's church. She fed us a wonderful midday meal and we were able to rest a big before we hopped on an overnight train to get to Florence.


Things I learned about Paris:

1. Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL architecture. We saw lots more than what's listed here . . . it would just take too long to list them all (or post the pictures here.)

2. There is a lot of trash.

3. There are lots of stairs. Not fun when lugging a suitcase.

4. It stinks. You don't want to know why.

5. Eight hours in Paris gave me a distinct fondness for the US obsession with personal hygiene.

7 comments:

Teresa C said...

Wow, that brings back memories. I've only spent 24 hours in Paris, and it was on the day the museums were all on strike! We did lot's of walking, saw the outside of tons of nice places, and I can remember that smell :)

Mom of these kids said...

Is the smell b/c of the hygene practice??? Ugh!

I am glad you and your sister got to do this together!!!! (Everytime I see a pic of your sister, I think of Rebecca!)

Sheila said...

You guys aren't doing much for the ugly American stereotype....Not everybody lives in a private residence with their own shower, or the money to pay what it would cost to shower everyday....

lisa b said...

Well, the smell was not so much from lack of showering but more from the lack of public toilet facilities. . .and it wasn't everywhere. Just a few areas in Paris. Florence was a whole different story.

And I'm sure it's not limited to Europe. My urban experience in the US has been limited to what chaperoned high school visits or professional conferences would offer. I have no doubt that the smell is abundant in US cities too.

Sheila said...

Ah, well, that's a different thing. And I do love that in America it's generally much easier to find somewhere with a public toilet! One of those blessings you tend to take for granted until you no longer have it....

Teresa C said...

Sorry Sheila, wasn't trying to offend or encourage the stereotype. I was referring to what Lisa described, the smell outside. I've had that same smell experience in many large cities all over the world.

GodsOwn/Bernice said...

Love to see the pictures from your holiday came accross when i went on your ning page...BTW i want to learn how you connect it with your blog pics