City of Light

Trip Start Aug 08, 2006
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Trip End Oct 11, 2006


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Thursday, September 21, 2006

Return to Paris, FRANCE
(Sep 21-25, 2006)

Although this was my fifth visit to the City of Light or La Ville Lumière, I still discovered a new way to appreciate the beauty of this city. And with the presence of wonderful friends, good food, and great wine, I experienced the joie de vivre in France.

After landing at Orly Airport at around 1:30PM, I went to the Métro counter to buy my train ticket into downtown Paris. There was an elderly Italian man who could not communicate in French. He insisted on asking for information in Italian to a French lady behind the counter. It was quite funny at first seeing how they were having a difficult time trying to understand each other. I then realized the gentleman needed some very important transportation information in order to meet a relative. The woman simply could not understand what he wanted to say. So, I stepped in to translate between Italian and French, much to the delight of the gentleman. Such was my introduction to Paris this time around.

It was nice to see Sara again. After finishing her PhD work in Houston, she opted to transfer to a subsidiary in Paris to be closer to her family in Spain 01 Alpine Snow Covered With Clouds
01 Alpine Snow Covered With Clouds
 . Jana from Germany, Ian from Honduras, and Sara's colleague, Khouloud from Lebanon, also hung out with us. One evening, I even threw a dinner party for them in my apartment in the 17th District. It was followed by a walk to Place du Trocadéro to see the Eiffel Tower consumed with a million sparkling lights.

To walk along the Seine River under an arcade of autumn foliage, to see the grand monuments illuminated along the river front, to enjoy the bustling, bohemian atmosphere of St. Michel/Latin Quarter -- all were quintessentially French to me. My apartment was even right across the street from Parc Monceau, where Claude Monet painted a series of five idyllic works.

There were so many reasons to revisit Paris, for every time I came back, I would find new surprises of beauty and charm hidden around the city.

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02 Aerial View of Paris 02 Aerial View of Paris 03 Arrival to Paris-Orly Airport 03 Arrival to Paris-Orly Airport A Walk in Autumn - Champs-Élysées, Paris A Walk in Autumn - Champs-Élysées, Paris Académie Française - Paris Académie Française - Paris
Alexandre III Bridge - Paris Alexandre III Bridge - Paris Arc du Triomphe du Carrousel - Louvre, Paris Arc du Triomphe du Carrousel - Louvre, Paris Autumn Foliage on Quai New-York - Paris Autumn Foliage on Quai New-York - Paris Avenue de la Grande Défense - Paris Avenue de la Grande Défense - Paris
Avenue des Champs-Élysées - Paris Avenue des Champs-Élysées - Paris Bateaux Mouches on the River Seine - Paris Bateaux Mouches on the River Seine - Paris Big Head - St. Eustachian Church, Paris Big Head - St. Eustachian Church, Paris Centre Georges Pompidou - Paris Centre Georges Pompidou - Paris
Champs-Élysées Cafés - Paris Champs-Élysées Cafés - Paris Champs-Elysées with the Arch of Triumph - Paris Champs-Elysées with the Arch of Triumph - Paris Dinner at Le Boomerang - St.Germain-des-Près,Paris Dinner at Le Boomerang - St.Germain-des-Près,Paris Drinking Café à la Française - Paris Drinking Café à la Française - Paris
Dusk Over The Seine River - Paris Dusk Over The Seine River - Paris Eating Fondue in the Quartier Latin - Paris Eating Fondue in the Quartier Latin - Paris Eiffel Tower - Sunset in Paris Eiffel Tower - Sunset in Paris Fall Foliage - Cours Albert 1er, Paris Fall Foliage - Cours Albert 1er, Paris
Famous Moulin Rouge - Pigalle, Paris Famous Moulin Rouge - Pigalle, Paris Fondue in Paris - Sara and Tony Fondue in Paris - Sara and Tony French Flag on Petit Palais - Paris French Flag on Petit Palais - Paris Givenchy Boutique - Rue George V, Paris Givenchy Boutique - Rue George V, Paris
Golden Griffin on Alexandre III Bridge - Paris Golden Griffin on Alexandre III Bridge - Paris Gothic Architecture - Notre Dame, Paris Gothic Architecture - Notre Dame, Paris Heart of Paris - Arch of Triumph Heart of Paris - Arch of Triumph Hõtel des Invalides - Paris Hõtel des Invalides - Paris
Ian and Jana on the Terrace Ian and Jana on the Terrace Île de la Cité - Paris Île de la Cité - Paris Infamous Tunnel - Place de l'Alma Infamous Tunnel - Place de l'Alma Innovative Façade - Rue de Rivoli, Paris Innovative Façade - Rue de Rivoli, Paris
Jardin des Tuilieries - Paris Jardin des Tuilieries - Paris Khouloud and Osama - Paris Khouloud and Osama - Paris Le Pont Neuf (New Bridge) - Paris Le Pont Neuf (New Bridge) - Paris Louis Vuitton Boutique - Champs-Elysées, Paris Louis Vuitton Boutique - Champs-Elysées, Paris
Louvre - Central Court Entrance Louvre - Central Court Entrance Memorial to Royalty - Tunnel Above Pont de l'Alma Memorial to Royalty - Tunnel Above Pont de l'Alma Monceau Station Near Apartment - 17th District Monceau Station Near Apartment - 17th District Montmartre Bohemian District - Paris Montmartre Bohemian District - Paris
My Rental Apartment Building in Paris My Rental Apartment Building in Paris On Pont d'Iéna Bridge - Paris On Pont d'Iéna Bridge - Paris On Top of Montmartre On Top of Montmartre On Top of the Arch of Triumph - Paris On Top of the Arch of Triumph - Paris
One of the best Crêpe Houses in Paris One of the best Crêpe Houses in Paris Parade March to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Parade March to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Parade of Veterans on Champs-Elysées - Paris Parade of Veterans on Champs-Elysées - Paris Place Colette - Paris Place Colette - Paris
Place du Tertre - Montmartre, Paris Place du Tertre - Montmartre, Paris Place du Trocadéro with Sara - Paris Place du Trocadéro with Sara - Paris Pont de l'Alma - Paris Pont de l'Alma - Paris Popular Meeting Point - Place de l'Alma, Paris Popular Meeting Point - Place de l'Alma, Paris
Pyramide du Louvre - Paris Pyramide du Louvre - Paris Resplendent Colors of Fall - Paris Resplendent Colors of Fall - Paris Romantic Paris Romantic Paris Rusted Hues of Autumn - September in Paris Rusted Hues of Autumn - September in Paris
Sacré Coeur (Sacred Heart) Basilica - Paris Sacré Coeur (Sacred Heart) Basilica - Paris Sara Preparing Some Drinks In Her Apartment- Paris Sara Preparing Some Drinks In Her Apartment- Paris Shade of Fall - Champs-Élysées, Paris Shade of Fall - Champs-Élysées, Paris Shopper's Paradise on Champs-Elysées, Paris Shopper's Paradise on Champs-Elysées, Paris
Sparkling Eiffel Tower Sparkling Eiffel Tower Sparkling Eiffel Tower and Paris Skyline Sparkling Eiffel Tower and Paris Skyline Summer Illumination - Rue George V, Paris Summer Illumination - Rue George V, Paris Sunset over Invalides Bridge - Paris Sunset over Invalides Bridge - Paris
Symmetry - Louvre Pyramid Reflection Symmetry - Louvre Pyramid Reflection Un Croque Madame Sandwich - Paris Un Croque Madame Sandwich - Paris
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