Mais Oui Paris - Part 3 - Misc Pretty Places

Of course there is more to Paris than the Eiffel Tower, and of course I went to many of these famous places too!

Whenever I see the Arc de Triomphe I think of the scene in "French Kiss" where Meg Ryan is in Paris trying to get her fiancee unhinged from a beautiful French woman. She is in a payphone booth, with the Arc in the background telling her hopefully soon to be mother-in-law with her fist over her head - "I will, I will Triumph!". Meg Riggs, you know this scene well I know!
















I failed in my attempt to visit the Musee d'Orsay. Note to future Paris visitors - book your ticket to this museum (full of impressionist paintings) in advance. After seeing the long long line (in the rain), I decided the impressionists didn't impress me enough to suffer the cold and rain and what was sure to be an over-packed museum visit.

Instead I headed over to the Notre Dam. Coincidentally I arrived at the church while a service was going on and was fortunate to have my walk around the historic halls with beautiful live chorale music. Studying Italian and a plethora of Byzantine and Renaissance art has done nothing to convince me to convert to Catholicism - but I can appreciate the magnificence of their churches and the beautiful artwork. Here is a view of one of the incredible stained glass windows.

















I doubt this statue is famous but I liked the angle and the light here.





















The one very sunny day I had in Paris was the Saturday before I left and I made the most of it by going to Montmartre before meeting up with the reunion gang later in the afternoon. Montmartre is a charming part of town, which once you trek up the steep stairs to the top are treated to numerous picturesque cafes and a piazza jammed with local artists, many of them wandering around offering to sketch your profile. I did this in high school, so skipped the sketch experience and headed straight to the Sacra Coeur Basilica.




















The fantastic weather encouraged me to make the hike up the narrow spiral staircase to the spectacular view from the top of the Sacra Coeur dome. I spent a lot of time taking in the views of Paris from multiple vantage points, such as this one.















From the area of the dome at the front of the church my gazing and pondering over the city of Paris had musical accompaniment. On the staircase below me at the front of the church a man was singing various songs in English. Something about listening to John Lennon's "Imagine" while overlooking the city set my thoughts in motion. I thought of sing-a-longs at the CCC (Carys, Cherine, Cathy) house in Mitaka, of our dear friend William singing "Imagine" for us so beautifully, and the lyrics themselves. "Imagine all the people living life in Peace". Maybe I am a dreamer - but being in Japan and being part of the Rotary Peace Fellowship is a clear indicator that I am not the only one. Although being a peacemaker as a profession is just as competitive as any other field - surely it is something we can all do, in our daily interactions; in the decision to smile at a child, listen to a friend's sorrow, encourage colleagues, and in general GIVE of ourselves without the expectation of anything in return. How often do we actually do this? How much more could I do? How might the world look different if I tried to do a little bit more? I wonder.....