Paris 1919

I recently returned from a European vacation, sadly without Chevy Chase as my driver. The first two days were spent in Paris so I could be at my good friend GF's wedding on Aug. 29.

I arrived in Paris three hours late due to a delay taking off in Toronto, but after checking in to my hotel had enough energy to visit the Montparnasse Cemetery, the resting place of Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, among many others. I had not been there on prior visits to Paris, it was interesting. I spent most of the rest of the afternoon in Jardin du Luxembourg, near my hotel, before taking a short nap and meeting up with high school friends who were in for the same wedding from Los Angeles (GF's last residence before Paris.) We had a nice dinner and a few drinks afterward.

The following morning, I walked to the Arc de Triomphe (maybe 45 minutes) and then the length of the Champs Elysee to the Louvre, and across to Ile de la Cite for a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral. After that, it was time to head back to the hotel to shower and change, and the rest of the day was devoted to what was a lovely wedding and reception.

On Saturday, I took in the exhibit at the Centre for Contemporary Art (which I had passed the day before and was intrigued by, mostly because the building was quite cool.) Then I walked to St. Germain Cathedral to visit there, as well, and took a leisurely stroll along the Seine to Eiffel Tower park, where I was meeting the wedding gang for an afternoon picnic. We spent a few hours in the park before I had to rush off for a flight to Budapest. That segment of the trip will be the next posting...