This blog entry about the events of Sunday, July 11, 2004 was originally posted on July 17, 2004.
DAY 267: "Attention, s'il vous plaît. Nous arrivons à Paris-Austerlitz en vingt minutes!" came the cry over the PA system, telling us we had twenty minutes before arrival. I woke up in my train bunk all confused. Huh? Where am I? Was that just in French?
It was my abrupt awakening to the hustle and bustle of Paris, France's capital city, a modern metropolis that seems to be perpetually giving homage to his rich historical past. It is one of the great world cities, a place characterized by its classical architecture, its cuisine, its art, its lights, its romance and its people who laugh all nasally. I had been to Paris before and seen most of its monuments already, but this time around I had a different raison d'être: to sort out my visas for upcoming travel on the Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian Railways from Moscow to Beijing. After some research I saw that Paris was the most convenient place to do such a thing since both the Russian and Chinese governments had embassies there — and the fact that since I'd been there already, I wouldn't feel so bad if I didn't get to see much in terms of sights.
After getting a bed in a hostel three blocks from the Louvre, I head out to the Russian embassy in the quiet outskirts of the city center, near the Bois de Bologne — only to find out it had closed for visa applications at noon. I went off to find the Chinese embassy a couple of blocks off the famous Avenue des Champs Elysées — only to find out that it too was closed, but would reopen at 2:30 in the afternoon. In the interim, I dashed back and forth through town to check into my now-ready bed back at the hostel.
Back on Chinese ground I asked about visa applications. The Chinese guard spoke neither French nor English but recognized the word "visa" and gave me a flyer for the Chinese consulate in the suburbs, which closed at five. The train there took longer than I thought and I didn't arrive until ten minutes past. They wouldn't deal with visa in the afternoon, only in the morning between 9:30 and noon.
SO I PRETTY MUCH SPENT ALL DAY running errands like I thought I would. However, walking around Paris and taking its Metro, you cover a lot of ground anyway. On my way, I saw the Arc de Triomphe (picture above), the Place de la Concorde (whose central obelisk was taken from the Temple of Luxor in Egypt), the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, and Notre Dame. Even the train platform at the Louvre-Rivoli Metro stop had classical sculptures on display for people on the go. As much running around as I did around town, I didn't neglect to make the obligatory stop as a Pulp Fiction fan to get a beer at McDonald's. In lieu of a "Royale with cheese" to have it with, I got a Happy Meal instead.
Inspired by the original Shakespeare & Co. run by Sylvia Beach in the early 20th century, "Shakespeare & Co." has been the literary embassy for many of the great writers, from Hemingway to Joyce. A tiny store about the size of two The Body Shops stacked on top of each other, it is home of tens of thousands of books in English prose and poetry and a few small beds amidst the bookshelves on the second floor. Sylvia Beach always saw her store as a haven for writers — the tradition is continued in the new store — letting writers crash (Hemingway amongst them) for a night or two. In the new store, there is even a typewriter in a small writing room (the size of a closet) that the great writers tapped away on. With my copy of Hyenas Laughed At Me and Now I Know Why… in my bag, I went to investigate if I could get a free home stay, or rather, store stay.
"Are you one of the people that stays here?" I asked a Swedish girl retrieving items from her bag in the storage closet.
Two hours? Whoa. Did this qualify for medical and dental? Was there a 401k plan? Two hours? I was already thinking of asking for time off. Between having to run around to get visas and catching up on The Blog and seeing stuff, I really couldn't spare the time. Besides, the store wasn't a place conducive to write anyway (for me); open until midnight seven days a week, the place was packed with people coming and going in the summer (including Bohemian types sitting on the beds and singing Beatles tunes with an acoustic guitar). According to the Swede, "quiet time" didn't come until about 3 a.m.
Even with that idea gone, I paid my respects to the owner anyway, a distinguished-looking laid back old American named George Whitman, the grandson of great American writer Walt Whitman, who kept the original spirit of Shakespeare & Co. alive. He was in a small back room in a suit, reading the paper.
"I remember seeing you on the Michael Palin show," I said, referring to the former Monty Python's travel mini-series that followed the trail of Ernest Hemingway.
I left, happy to know that while the embassies of Russia and China maybe closed, the literary American one would be open to me.
THE LOUVRE, without a doubt, is the world's most famous art museum, housing some of the world's most famous classical works of art, most prominently Da Vinci's Mona Lisa. I had missed out on the Louvre on my last visit to Paris and so this time around, I made the obligatory stop as an American tourist to visit it, camera in hand.
Trying to cover four floors in three wings of a tremendous museum is impossible in three hours, so I sort of just went to see the more prominent things pointed out by my floor plan map, in a sort of photographic scavenger hunt. Most of the things that weren't so significant I just skipped over, knowing that I could see similar works anytime back home in the New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art (and at a lower price). I wondered through the galleries and halls of French, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Etruscan, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Levantian, Iranian, Coptic, Islamic and medieval artifacts, paintings and sculptures. Halfway through my scavenger hunt I discovered that about a third of the museum was closed for the Monday night extended hours, which was okay because there was too much available to see anyway.
THE LOUVRE CLOSED shortly after, leaving me to wander the lively Place de St. Michel, amongst other places. While that neighborhood was open late, the neighborhood I was in closed relatively early — which was fine because I'd have to get up early and beat the morning rush when the Russian embassy opened in the morning.
HEY ALL… slowly catching up… bear with me!
wow those paintings are HUGE.
Oh, and all the art pics are great. I also missed the Louvre when I was in Paris (Musee D'Orsay instead - which is great). I'm hoping to spend a few days wandering through it when I get to Paris again.
The commentary is hilarious. The muppets one killed me.
Wonderful! I'm so jealous - I want to go to the Louvre… all that classical stuff is wonderful! Did you do stuff relating to the Da Vinci Code? Thanks for the pics, and the commentary. Yes, the Honeydew comment is RIGHT ON!
Thanks for the updates, they are VERY welcome in my world!
And Rose and I have met the same guy, or at least someone pulling the same scam. I've never had that problem on any other metro system, what's wrong with these Pariseans.
Oh, and personal recommendation if you're still there…for art museums in Paris, I found the Mus?e d'Ors?e, just across the river, much better than the l'Ouvre. Not as many crowds, and, in my opinion anyway, the art's more interesting.
I never thought to just take pictures of everyday things like trains in the metro. It really helps with the story.
Now, is there any chance George Whitman ISN'T really the grandson of Walt Whitman?
Sorry I was late on the Barcelona bar info.
George Whitman was a classic. Did you get a chance to pose with him in a shot?
Dude! The Capital of Apadana looks awesome! The Notre Dame felt small… paintings were huge! Professor Honeydew rocks! Do you still open the doors yourself at the metro?
Best of luck at the respective Embassies!!
I'll tell ya—whenever in a foriegn country trying to find something to eat, those Goldn Arches never fail!
Erik: Hey what do they call "French Fries" in France?
Rose & Neil: similiar scam I ran into in NYC-Chinatown, Damn kids!
Oogy - I agree - the Notre Dame DOES look small. I thought it would be bigger.
You should take an hour or two and go up to Sacre C'ur. Its the white cathedral on the hill with the best views of the entire city. Behind the Cathedral there is an amazing artists square surrounded by some of the best cafes. Go up there, order les moules frites and a glass of wine for me!
ERIK: What's the name of the hostel you are staying at called.
wow, i am so jealous. i always wanted to go to the louvre. i am willing to spend an entire vacation week in there.
HEY ALL… GREETINGS FROM FLORENCE (FIRENZE), ITALY… Yes, that means I'm now THREE cities behind, four if you include my little day trip to Pisa this afternoon… Don't worry, I have plenty of train time in the coming week to catch up… Now if only I had a power outlet….
NOELLE: Da Vinci Code, yes… look at the file names of the Da Vinci files I uploaded… I should have had the book on me to get the details I forgot, but get this… there are NO windows in either of the men's bathrooms in the Italian painting wing!
NEIL: Yes, I know it's a goose… stop ruining my bit! I'm out of Paris now, so Musee d'Orsee will have to wait for another time around… thanks for the suggestion though!
TJW: Dunno, ask George; "You're always welcome." Seriously, look him up on the net and the fact should match. Glad you appreciate the everyday photo thing… I do it for exactly that reason; to make the reader feel like he/she is there too.
NEVEN: It's the Centre International de Paris.
I'm trying NOT to use the blonde brain cells, but can you help me figure out where those files are? Are they someplace secret, or someplace where I should see them? Help, per favore.
beer and a happy meal. interesting. do they typically serve alcohol to the parisiene youth?
I officially name you "Michael Palin" of the new millenium! Great stuff!
Is that the only one? That's so much fun. I usually watch those names closely - apparently the blonde was thinking more today… or sleeping.
That's got to be one of my favourites Erik!!
Oh yeah!!! That one is classic!!
SUPER JEALOUS!!! I spent a grueling 8 hours in the Louvre… and it was worth every moment. So psyched you took photos of the galleries. Tho I swear the room with the Mona Lisa has changed *significantly* since 1998 when I was there. Now you're in my favorite city… FIRENZE. I don't think there's a word for the level of jealousy I'm experiencing!
Thanks especially for the scavenger hunt pics. You covered Nike, my most favorite classical sculpture. But for all my love of things muppet, I never noticed the Honeydew connection before! LOL!
Oh, by the way DaVinci did not sculpt the Venus di Milo—it's ancient Greek.
Patrick speaking now. If you get a chance, get to Trattoria Antellesi,near San Lorenzo, for dinner. Tell Joe and Rene that you are friends of Patrick and Christy, the Americans who spent 4 days dining with them last October. If they need further info to remember us by, my sister lives in Boston and knows her cousin who owns Francesca's in the North End.