« Vilse Keeps Austin Weird | Main | Idaho Redux »
January 30, 2005
Bonjour, Kalle!
Kalle spent the last week in Paris visiting Rory and his cat Mo, whom he greeted in the usual French manner, with a kiss on each cheek.
A few days later, they were ready to go sight-seeing. First stop, Place de la Bastille. Kalle was disappointed to find that the fortress no longer stands at Bastille; it's now a big rotary. In the centre, there's a tall column with a genie on the top (Le Genie de la Liberte).
From Bastille, Kalle and Mo proceeded south, crossing the Seine at Pont Sully. In the background on the right of Kalle is the rear view of Notre Dame cathedral with its famous flying buttresses. On Kalle's left, the Eiffel tower can be seen in the distance.
On the Ile St Louis, Mo brought Kalle to a brasserie for a restorative glass of wine. Before dinner, Kalle spent some time contemplating the river. After dinner, Mo brought Kalle to see the Louvre pyramid.
From nearby, he could also see the Eiffel Tower in full sparkle mode and the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. Then it was home for some napping with Mo.
The next day, Mo and Kalle went for a stroll in the Place des Vosges. This square was built around 1605 and was originally called the Place Royale. Next stop, Hotel de Ville, the Paris town hall to check out what Paris is doing for its Olympics 2012 bid.
There's a big ice skating rink in front of the building. From behind the ice rink, there's a good view of the Olympics sign.
Crossing the river, Mo and Kalle arrived at the front of Notre Dame cathedral. Kalle regaled the other tourists with his imitation of a hunchback.
The final stop on the visit was the Arc de Triomphe. Kalle's on his way to Dublin next — stay tuned...
Posted by dmd at January 30, 2005 9:17 PM