Bonjour. Today is Sunday, our usual day of rest. It�s obvious when Sunday hits in Europe: life moves at a slower pace, streets are deserted later into the morning, and the whole day has a real feel of relaxation about it. It�s the type of day that can be spent sitting in a caf� for hours or just wandering through a small neighborhood without any thought of a time schedule. I like Sunday.
Yesterday, despite my continuing illness, we set out to see more of Paris. We started off at the Champs Elysees, Paris� grand boulevard connecting the Place de la Concorde with the Arc de Triomphe. It is a mass of cars, shops, and places to shop for cars, believe it or not. It�s one of the great spectacles of the city, and we couldn�t leave Paris without spending some time checking it out.
Our walk started at the Place de la Concorde, the site of so many beheadings during the French Revolution. A plaque marked the spot where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were beheaded, marking the (temporary) end to the French monarchy and the beginning of the glorious (although temporary as well) republic. France was poised to create her own future, determined by the needs and will of the people. Of course, none of that lasted very long, but the memory of the idealism of the time lives on in the memory of the city.
As we strolled the mile-long road to the Arc de Triomphe, we passed a great number of shops. In the Peugeot dealership, concept cars were on display from years past. One car, the model of urban elegance, featured blue and white artwork on the exterior of the car, hardwood floors inside, and well-designed (at least from an aesthetic point of view) chairs for the driver and passenger. Seriously, this thing was wild. If you don�t believe me, check out the pictures on the web site.
Further along the walk, we passed Thomas Jefferson�s residence during his tenure (with Sally Hemming, of course) as American ambassador to France. We walked through a mall that brought back the heyday of Paris in the 1920s, a time when it was thought to be the center of the cultural world and wealthy Americans flocked to it to be part of the scene. And finally we came to the top of the street and were face-to-face with Napoleon�s enormous monument.
Now, Napoleon was not one for understatement. He had risen from relatively obscure beginnings in Corsica to become the conqueror of Europe and (at least as he saw it) the savior of France. To accomplish that took a major ego, and the Arc de Triomphe is a pretty good measure of his self-concept. Modeled after the Roman arches of antiquity, the Arc de Triomphe towers over the landscape. Carved into its face are depictions and names of battles and warriors, but the message is clear: France is strong again thanks to only one man. We stood in awe of the enormous structure, took some pictures, and started the climb to the top. The Eiffel Tower, admittedly, has the best panoramas of the city, but the Arc de Triomphe has the best location. The whole city radiates out from it like the spokes of a wheel, and only from the top of the Arc can the design of the city be truly appreciated. I wish we had gone up there the first day to get a feel for the city�s layout. It would have made things a whole lot easier.
So after we finished there, we went to see Napoleon�s tomb. If the Arc de Triomphe is a testament to his prowess as a soldier, then his tomb is propaganda for his administrative talents. Carvings in the wall show him, godlike, bestowing favors, contracts, and structures to the people gathered at his feet. And in the midst of it all is his shiny tomb, larger than life, gleaming from the light from above. This is truly one of the amazing spectacles of Paris. Apparently his tomb is much like a Russian doll � lots of tombs, growing ever larger, radiating from his body in the center. His original tombstone, an understatement if there ever was one, lies out in the courtyard almost unnoticed by the many visitors walking past. Unsure what to put on the tombstone of the warrior/conqueror, European heads of state decided on simply �Here lies��
Well, by this time, I was feeling pretty bad, so we went back to the hotel room. After resting for a while, we went out for dinner and then for a leisurely walk through the streets of Montmarte. We enjoyed it so much that we�re going back today, so I�ll tell all about it tomorrow.
Unfortunately, the Internet caf�s computers are not taking too well to me updating the web site. I�ll have to get that done in Madrid. I have uploaded some pictures, however, of the Louvre, Versailles, and everything I just talked about. You can see them here.
We hope all is well back in the States. We hope all of you are in good health and good spirits, and we look forward to talking with you when we return.
Take care,
Paul and Colleen
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