Sunday, February 10, 2013

Parisian Meandering

A lot of the time, strolling around Paris means finding yourself in a random place far from where you began. You get off the Bastille metro stop and before you know it, you're in the marais or you're at Shakespeare & Co. or you're at the Louvre. It just happens.

I say that as a precursor to the photos below, which have only as a connection the fact that they were taken on the same day, along the same aimless promenade. The photos depict the winding streets of the 4th, 5th, and 6th arrondissements, as well as the interior of the Notre Dame Cathedral at night.

I don't have much else to say, other than life is going well. Classes are quite tough and intensive and I have a lot of homework and reading to do, but alas, I am studying, not vacationing, abroad. Anyway, I am uncharacteristically keeping this short. Here are the photos:








Crêpes



The narrowest street in Paris (Rue du Chat-qui-Pêche)




Notre Dame Cathedral





Carrousel at Hôtel de Ville


Sunday, February 3, 2013

Montmartre

The more I explore Paris, the more I realize how much there is to explore. The more I see, the more I want to see, and the more I realize I can't possibly see everything. Paris is truly a multifaceted city that has so many sights concentrated in small areas so that any arrondissement you are in at the moment will open up millions of new doors that you never knew existed. It is what makes Paris both beautiful and frustrating at the same time—frustrating because as the city constantly unfolds itself for your discovery, more of its inner workings, you understand  its complexity which, in turn, leads to an understanding of the impossibility of fully grasping the city, of truly experiencing every nook and cranny.

(I feel like I'm being too meta here, but whatever, I'm an English and psychology double-major, do you really expect anything else from me? Anyway, I don't want to make this into a lengthy exploration of what it's like to be in Paris, because I did that already (and, knowing myself, will doubtlessly do again).

For now, here are some pictures of Montmartre. You may recognize this area as the setting of Amélie, which has been one of my favorite films since I first saw it when I was 10 or 11. The actual Montmartre is just as beautiful and charming as the one captured on film, and it was incredible to be able to walk the streets of a place I only loved on screen. I didn't get to see the famous café from the film, but rest assured, I am definitely revisiting Montmartre. There is so much left to explore there, and so far it has been one of the most entertaining, alluring, and charming places in Paris.






Graffiti





Fisherman

Confetti remnants of a parade

Jackie