Paris Sights

This next set of photos are on sights and activities in Paris

Cheese galore Place Monge's farmers' market
View from Sacre Couer(sp?)

Eiffel Tower

A Metro Station--after rush hour traffic
Metro Station platform

Inside the metro car

St Eustache and Les Halles
Along the Seine...Notre Dame in the back middle, taken at dusk

Ile St. Louis to the right
Evidence of a great New Year welcoming party . The party on the eve went on for quite a while and I heard peole celebrating till the sun came up
The best sight in Paris

One cool sign--it's so Japanese comics cute

A sign by the Eiffel tower

Seafood at the farmers' market (place Monge)

Hungry folks in line for the tastiest falafel in the world

And now a couple off beat photos

String on granite
A storefront with 2 stuffed cobras

Paris--at Chez Daniel

While in Paris, I had the pleasure of staying with my friend Daniel. His flat is some floors up a winding narrow staircase in an 18th century building. The floor slants dramatically since it is such an old old building. It's not a very big place by American standard (around 20 x 20 square feet) but it is still grand and glorious since it's so old and so typically Parisian.

The flat is in an alley in the Bastille area (4th arrondisment). Quite central. A block away is an awesome bakery, Le Notre (pastry) , a Nicolas (wine shop), and other specialized food stores. I was exactly where I wanted to be.

View from his window. If the neighbors across were present, we could easily chat about the weather.
Dining room: on the table are foie gras with toast points and an assortment of Jewish deserts

Bedroom/living room/dining room/office/library/gameroom/ and the window to say hi to the neighbors.

Centuries old wood beams. Hefty and rough and straight. Just the way I like 'em.

Tiled floor by the entry way

View from his window--that's a major street that leads to the Marais, Pompidou...

Always hospitable--the bar welcomes you as soon as you open the door.

Cozy kitchen

Yummy coffee

Tea mugs, crock of mustard, and a wrapped lemon tart (the pyramid package)

Cute bathroom and quite efficient; one can go to the loo and brush at the same time.

Paris--Falafels

I think the best falafel i've tasted to date is from Chez Marianne in Paris' Marais district. These photos were taken within the hour of that epiphany. How were the falafels? Think tater tots with a bit more bite feel--crunchy outside, al dente and comfortingly warm and moist inside. The bread is not dry like American pita bread...it's thicker, oilier (tastier)--more like an Indian flat bread but with nice chewiness. It's completed with a tahini based sauce, heavenly roasted eggplant, and lightly pickled cabbage and carrots.



These are not falafels but some pine nut cookies.


Sign by Chez Marianne
The falafels at this placed are cooked to order. It takes a bit longer to get your falafels but it's because they are cooked right before your eyes. This is the "emporter" window; on the other side of this window, our falafels are bobbing nicely in hot oil. Tip: buy your falafels first inside, keep the receipt, line up on the take out window outside, present your receipt to the falafel maker. Smile.
We finally got our falafels. This is Dan's "Don't f#$@ing touch my falafel" mini sneer.

Paris--No Entrance Fee Art

Some sampling of free art and where they are housed

Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris where it's free to view their extensive contemporary art permanent collection



Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris--this David is about 1 foot tall

Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris--these plaques fill the whole room; all four walls

Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris-Yves Klein sculpture

In Paris, some of the cheapest art is the culinary variety. These were bought at 7:30 in the morning and they are reason enough to wake up.

Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris--it's a huge space and not very crowded

Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris--fleshy looking gigantic necklace and to the left is a short film that shows this man leading donkeys around and around a plaza

Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris--robot TV altar

Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris--

Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris--young students in the museum

La Basilique du Sacre Coeur de Montmartre and the tourist--this was taken New Years Day 2008

outside of Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris--not too sure if this was vandalized or not

outside Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris--love that scuplture on top

Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris--one calming room

Musée de la sculpture en plein air--sculptures park along the Seine--that's a brass sculpture in the foreground and Paris (around Bastille) in the background

Musée de la sculpture en plein air--lots of writhing on this piece

This needs no introduction

One of the tower's legs

Not too sure which building this is

Jardin des plantes-naked trees


Jardin des plantes

Musée de la sculpture en plein air-a sculpture of yin w/o yang...solitary sperm in a tube...comet blazing

a sculpture By Les Halles--DNA riding a penguin, fear as old as our DNA stomping on progress....



Tour St-Jacques being facelifted--some cool experiments were done here back in the days

Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle-- a hippohorse breaking away from a buildings supporting beam