FRANCE: PARIS – Cultural Cornucopia

What better way to kick off my European Tour, but with a quick dose of Paris? This time I had no agendas. Just experience the city any way I pleased. After all, it’s springtime in Paris, and it doesn’t get much better than that. Beautiful women everywhere you look, blossoms in the Tuileries, and architecture that takes your breath away. Sorry, I took so few pictures. I was just too busy taking it all in. I have taken loads of pictures in the past, and I wanted to do something else this time.

It was such a delight to see a man renting out boats to sail in the fountains once again. I enjoyed sailing these boats at the age of eight in the Tuileries on a trip to Paris with my parents. I was dressed like a Parisian schoolboy in navy blue shorts, and the French children chattered at me in their native tongue. These boats have been sadly absent for decades. Such a joy to have them back. A woman had her two daughters there to sail the boats as she had 45 years before. We shared our happy memories as her daughters created ones of their own.

My Pilgrimage to the Deux Moulins

ABBESSES – The Metro Stop for the Deux Moulins

One of the magnificent remaining Art Nouveau Metro Entrances

Cafe Des Deux Moulins – Amelie’s Workplace

Amelie Fan in front of a glared-over oval portrait of Amelie

It’s all the same inside except Georgette’s tobacco counter is missing.

Oh la la, les fruits!

Blueberries, as big as my thumbnails!!! – Delicious!

Le Sacre Coeur – Montmartre

Dali Museum – Montmartre

Aux Trois Mailletz – One of the last great cabarets of Paris on my final evening, enjoyed by tourists and Parisians alike. On one trip my wife and I spent three nights in a row here until sunrise since there were three days of rain. After leaving the place we had breakfast at Le Depart a café on the Blvd. St. Michel and just walked the streets of Paris in the drizzle. Paris is magic under most any condition, but washed clean of grime and people early in the morning can be quite special.

I also got some wonderful black and white shots with high-speed film and no flash so as not to disturb the patrons. It proved successful and the results were excellent and truly captured the spirit of the place which has unfortunately changed a bit in the last ten years. There were also some compelling shots of Paris in the rain. One day I’ll post them on the blog.