Europe '81: Paris

September 16, 1981

The final stop on my first tour of Europe was Paris, the City of Light. I arrived early in the morning on the 06:44 overnight train from Munich – the Orient Express. But the train I'd taken was named for the route it travelled, not the famous luxury service of Agatha Christie's day. After all, I was travelling Europe on $20 a Day.

Eiffel Tower, Paris (1981)

Paris was the only city on my trip where I hadn't booked accommodation beforehand but I managed to find a room using my Europe on $20 a Day guidebook: the Hotel Central des Ecoles Paris off the Boulevard St. Michel. According to the guide, Pablo Picasso lived here from 1902-03.

Photo of Pablo Picasso, Picasso Museum, Antibes

I headed for the Parc du Champ-de-Mars and the Eiffel Tower to take in views of the city from the second level observation deck. Thirty years later on my second visit to Paris the views weren't much different although, off in the distance, the modern business district of La Défense seemed to have gained a few skyscrapers.

Parc du Champ-de-Mars and the Eiffel Tower (1981)

View of the Champ-de-Mars and Montparnasse Tower
from the Eiffel Tower (2010)

View of the River Seine (1981)

View of the River Seine (2010)

Chaillot Palace and La Défense Business District (1981)

Chaillot Palace and La Défense Business District (2010)

Eiffel Tower Viewed from the Terrace
of the Chaillot Palace (2010)

Not far from the Champ-de-Mars is the Hotel national des Invalides where I saw the massive red porphyry tomb of Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte in the crypt of Eglise du Dome. The dome of the church was re-gilded in 1989 for the bicentenary of the French Revolution so it really glittered when I saw it again in 2010.

Dome des Invalides (1981)

Dome des Invalides (2010)

Nearby is the impressive Musée Rodin where I saw two of the sculptor's most famous works: The Kiss, which I found especially noteworthy; and The Thinker, brooding in the gardens of the 18th century mansion that houses the collection. I bought a postcard of The Kiss but foolishly got rid of it a few years ago.

The Thinker, Auguste Rodin
Garden of the Musée Rodin (1981)

The Thinker and the Dome des Invalides (1981)

If I ever get a chance to visit Paris one more time I'd love to tour the Musée Rodin again. As for my first visit to Paris there was still much more art to see, beginning at the Musée du Louvre, but I'll save that for next time.

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