What does one say about Beaubourg...eclectic is how I would describe
most of it. It certainly has its own charm and is filled with the
classical old Parisian scenes, but one is more likely to also run across
all walks of life here.
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The Forum des Halles is now a gigantic underground complexl built
in a very modern design of concrete and glass that has includes shops,
restaurants, cinemas, and a swimming pool occupying 750,000 square feet.
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At the Centre Pompidou you can see modern art on the inside or just
ride the escalator to the top to get a good view of the city. The
building is impossible to miss because of the variety of colored pipes
on the outside. It has literally been flipped inside out so that
there are air ducts, water pipes, and cables on the outside making more
room for the art gallery inside. Each pipe is color coded for what
it contains: air ducts are blue, water pipes are green, and electric cables
are yellow, red is reserved for elevator shafts and stairs.
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At Place Igor Stravinsky there is Paris' first contemporary fountain
and is in stark contrast to the St. Merry church behind it dating from
1331.
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St. Eustache is a beautiful gothic, Renaissance cathedral and has
magnificent pillars, columns, and stained-glass windows. Moliere
was buried here as well.
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Inside the building with a huge dome is the Bourse du Commerce which
is where the trading of commodities takes place.
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La Samaritaine down near the Seine is a large department store.
The restaurant on the roof has spectacular views of Paris and is a great
place to stop and relax in the middle of the day.
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The Tour St. Jacques is a gothic tower and all that remains of an
ancient church that pilgrims came to visit.
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