Paris, France - 1997
by
Paul Ridenour
Created 08/01/2005
Digital copies of 35mm photos
Dottie's sister Desi went to Paris for six months to take a photography class. She invited Dottie and I to stay with her in her apartment. So, we took a 10 day trip to Paris.
Wednesday July 9
Departed Dallas at 2:50 PM
Watched the "Marvin's Room" movie while Dottie slept on the plane
Saw Desi's "Delta Sky Miles" commercial twice on the plane
Thursday July 10
Arrived in Paris at 8:45 PM
Desi met us at the airport
Walked to Notre Dame/Seine River
Tried to stay awake as long as we could
Dottie was so tired she does not remember anything
Ate chocolate and raspberry sorbet
We both took naps
Desi, Yann, and I went to eat late by the Pantheon
Our Latin Quarter apartment view in the 5th Arrondissement
(5th District)
Getting ready for the day
Desi, Dottie, and liberal French soon-to-be lawyer Yann
Friday July 11
Walked by The Sorbonne
Visited the Jarden de Luxembourg/Senate
Visited outside of Notre Dame
Walked along the Seine River
Saw Venus de Milo at night from outside the window at the Louvre
Yann gave us a tour through Gay Paree' (1st District)
Note: I shaved my head and grew a goatee before going to Paris not knowing that that was the gay look in Paris. As I was walking down the middle of the street in the gay district, apparently a lot of men were looking at me. Yann said I was the "King of the Road." I got a lot of kisses blown my way from guys during my time in Paris.
Notre Dame
The Sorbonne (University of Paris) - where John Calvin and St. Thomas
Aquinas attended (and actor Bill Murray)
Paris streets
Jarden de Luxembourg
Looking at Le Menu
Saturday July 12
Visited the Pantheon, Saint Genevieve Church,
Musee D' Orsay, and Notre Dame
Had strawberry/apricot crepes
French breakfast
Voltaire's tomb - The Pantheon
"Whistler's Mother" - Musee D' Orsay
Sunday July 13
Breakfast with Desi in St. Germaine
Visited St. Germaine Des Press Church and Saint Chapelle
Bought proof coins (Venus de Milo and Michelangelo's "David"),
two bronze medallions, and a print at the Louvre
At dinner, we had pizza and a socialist conversation with Yann
Mailed cat postcards to my parents
Yann's Death March - looking for the fireworks but it was the wrong night
Saint Chapelle - 1154 Bible stories illustrated in the stained glass
(built in four years during the 1100 ADs)
Michelangelo's "David" and Venus De Milo coins from the Louvre. These two have a
lot in common and we
think they should get together. Only one drawback to the relationship,
David will never get a hug.
Bronze medallions from the Louvre
Monday July 14
Bastille Day
We slept late
Visited the Louvre
Watched fireworks at the Eiffel Tower from the Louvre/Jarden de Tuilleries
Venus de Milo - The Louvre
"Venus has quite the Adam's apple...hmm"
Renaissance Man - The Louvre
Tuesday July 15
Visited the Monnaie de Paris Musee and boutique
Bought coins/medallions at the boutique
Visited the Eiffel Tower
Walked to the Arc d' Triomphe but it was closed due to dignitaries
The subway was partially closed
We washed some clothes and went to bed early
Eiffel Tower - 900 days before year 2000
Arc de Triomphe
Wednesday July 16
Bought the Paris version of the Beatles' "Rubber
Soul" LP
Train to Versailles was partially closed so we
took the bus and subway
Visited Versailles and took a private apartment
tour
Subway lost power for a few minutes and we smelled smoke
Took a Seine River boat ride which was a bit cold (Desi and her friend Ruth
Davalos walked along the shore)
We ate banana crêpes
Dottie said "Thank You" then "Merci" in her sleep (very funny)
The sun never really went down - it was always light
Supper at 10 PM was not uncommon
Paris metro
Versailles
Hall of Mirrors - Versailles
Rue de Abbey ?
Thursday July 17
Breakfast crepes with Desi and Ruth
Visited inside of Arc D' Triomphe (lots of steps)
It was a "day of many steps"
Walked past the LeDoyen restaurant (Dottie's maiden name is Doyen)
We shopped and bought several souvenir spoons
Visited Sacre' Coeur
Ate another Gyro (we had lots of them) / Orangina
LeDoyen Restaurant
Sacre' Coeur - "Sacred Heart"
Shopping with the Des
Friday July 18
It rained for the first time
Between 9 - 11 AM, I took pictures of Notre Dame, The Sorbonne, Musee de Rodin,
St. Louis de Invalides, Napoleon's tomb (Eglise Du Dome), and the UNESCO
building
Met six girls from the University of Georgia and told them what all they could
do in Paris with limited time
Lunch with Desi and Ruth
Bought the Paris version of the Beatles "Magical Mystery Tour" LP on Apple
Records
Visited Jarden de Plantes and Jarden de Luxembourg while a band played
Met Dana Ziyasheva (pronounced Donna) at a subway and we exchanged gifts [A common practice with folks from the USSR]
Note: I first met Dana in 1991 in Alma-Ata,
Kazakhstan [USSR]. She worked for UNESCO and was living in Paris by 1997
Had dinner with Desi, Ruth, Yann, and Dana
The waiter told lawyer and Jewish jokes
Yann told a hilarious joke about 'killing a bee"
Note: When in a foreign country, one should dress like the locals and try not to stand out. One should never wear blue jeans, white tennis shoes, and brightly colored Polo shirts in Paris. I wore black clothes. Also, try to order your food in French - the waiters will respect you even if you are not 100% correct. I was stopped twice by people on the street thinking I was French and my friend from Kazakhstan who speaks Russian told me I looked "perfectly French."
Thinking Man - Musee de Rodin
Napoleon's tomb (6 more tombs inside) - St. Louis de Invalides
Dana on right
Saturday July 19
We took a taxi to the airport
Departed at noon
Watched "Fools Rush In" on the plane
Arrived in Dallas at 5:30 PM
My parents picked us up
We went straight to Chili's in Rockwall
Ran into Traci Ivy and Pastor Steve Stroope