Ed Tant

Americans in Paris

Love “City of Light”!

Joy and I pose at three Paris landmarks:  the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and  the Tuileries Gardens  in these photos taken  by our old friend, “The Unknown Tourist,” during our October 2007 visit to the city.

Clockwise from top left:  A detail of the Arc de Triomphe exterior, a lovely bridge across the Seine, a peaceful pond near the base of the Eiffel Tower, and a view of colorful  flowers and majestic architecture in the Tuileries Gardens. No matter which way you look in the City of Light, there is beauty to behold at any time of year. Cole Porter was right when he wrote the lyric, “I love Paris every moment.”

Paris is a city of beautiful bridges, as the span in the photo above shows.  Paris is also a city of magical  and ornate fountains like this spectacular example located near the Tuileries Gardens.  Most of all, Paris is a city of romance as this graffiti on the Eiffel Tower attests.  Joy and I particularly liked the “je t’aime tant” love note!

The old and the new meet in Paris at the 200 - foot Ferris wheel set up near the ancient Egyptian obelisk in the city. Joy smiled atop the big wheel and took my photo as I took photos.

Paris is the world’s capital of art, boasting museums like the Louvre (above) and the Musee d’Orsay. Paintings by artists like Renoir and Monet grace the walls of the d’Orsay while the Louvre is home to the Mona Lisa, probably the most famous painting in any museum.   Joy is even more beautiful than Mona Lisa as she strikes a pensive pose in the photo at right.  Notre-Dame cathedral combines both art and religion as its spires pierce the blue Paris sky in the photo below. Joy took the photo , below right, of  kingly statues at the church. Gargoyles gaze from the cathedral’s towers in the other shots.

Paris scenes:  A tour boat plies the Seine, a Left Bank book shop, the lobby of our hotel--the Favart, stone lions adorning a building near the Favart,  Joy’s photo of crowds visiting Notre Dame,  and a detail of the “La Belle Epoque Carrousel” that is loved by Parisians and tourists who enjoy its nostalgic charm.

Joy took this shot from the top of Notre-Dame cathedral, one of the best viewing spots in Paris.  The Eiffel Tower is in the background of her photo and the storied Seine River flows beneath the bridge in the center.

Bicycles and tiny “Smart Cars” rule the Paris streets.

Here’s a view from the top of the Eiffel Tower. At left, the tower lit up for the evening. At right,  Joy’s view of the soaring structure during daytime.

Stained Glass Window at Notre-Dame