Americans in Paris

In Paris we set out like all tourists, determined to see the sights of this great and much celebrated city. So, yes we stood before the Eiffel tower and walked the Champs Elysee from the Arc de Tiomphe to the Tuileries gardens.

Yes, we walked the left bank neighborhood past Shakespere and Co, the English language bookstore famously frequented by notable authors and intellectuals of Jazz age Paris.

We also walked the streets of Monmartre, past the Moulin Rouge, sidewalk cafes and posed before the Wall of Love, the tiled art-piece which repeats ‘I Love You’ in 250 languages.

As tourists do, we joined the throngs of other tourists and explored the Musee d’Orsay collection of paintings, which featured works by Monet, Manet, Degas and this famous Van Gogh!

And, of course no trip to Paris would be complete without visiting the Louvre.

Our guided tour of the Louvre was most helpful, especially in navigating our way past the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory and through the crush of people pressing their way to view the Mona Lisa. So, we saw the Mona Lisa, but did we see the Mona Lisa?

There was one Paris icon which, sadly, we were unable to visit. As a result of the devastating fire of 15 April 2019 the Cathedral of Notre Dame is still closed to visitors while the current restorations are underway. This massive undertaking is scheduled to be completed in 2024 to coincide with the Paris Olympic games. 

A well produced CBS news documentary for the 60 Minutes television series, details the tragic fire and current restoration efforts in some detail and is well worth viewing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Sp0C2ldxek