Day 03 – Le Louvre et La Tour Eiffel
This was a day to head to two iconic structures in Paris: the Louvre with the I.M. Pei pyramid, and the Eiffel Tower. India has the Taj Mahal, Australia has the Sydney Opera House, we have the Golden Gate Bridge, and Paris, or course, has la Tour Eiffel.
After the usual imaging and critique session, we headed first for le Louvre, an amazing museum. I remember the first time I visited it when I was 16, and I adored it, the gardens, and the elegant grandeur of the building. Like many, I also remember the hue and cry when the I.M. Pei pyramid was being built. “How dreadful!” “How can they possibly allow such a monstrosity?” And on and on. Now, and for a long time, that set of glass pyramids is as much a part of the Paris city scape as all the other iconic locations.
As we entered the museum, a beautiful bronze, Nuit (night), caught the eye of some. This was my interpretation.
Hmmm … wonder why?
For the Louvre, I wanted to combine the old and new in a more subtle way. To me, the glass pyramids echo the lacy quality of the Eiffel Tower, so I wanted to show the delicate side of hte structure.
Over the decades, the Eiffel Tower has been photographed probably billions of times. How to photograph it differently is always a challenge. While I certainly cannot claim that others have not taken this approach, I have never seen it on postcards, posters, or in books and exhibitions. For me, it reminded of me fine, French lingerie, only the sky offsetting the symmetry.
“Oh no,” Arnie and I exclamed to each other when we first arrived on the Batobus. “There’s construction!” But then, we each took the approach that if it’s there, we are going to use it. We each used the delicate, erector-set columns to accent the height of the first stage of the tower.
Exploring yet other possible views for our group, Arnie and I wandered. It was also time for a glass of wine and the loo. In Paris, there are not a lot of public WCs, so if you are in need, the best thing is to pop into a café or brasserie, have a glass of wine, a cup of coffee, and or a little something to eat. That gives you access to the facilities.
We found several views that we really liked. I was looking for an old-world feel, perhaps something from the time the tower was built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle.
Our group had gotten the images they wanted, and it had started to rain. We all opted to hop back onto the next Batobus (you can hop on and hop off at will with a ticket). As we cruised through the various stops, we enjoyed the scenery and worked our cameras. The round trip takes about 90 minutes, and on the last round, the lights came on along the river.
I was up forward, and as we approached our final stop at Notre Dame, I noticed the backup display that the pilot used to maneuver the Batobus into the tight spots along the quay. In it was a stunning sunset that had broken through under the clouds.
It was a great day, but it was late and we were starved. A block or so away, we found a wonderful little restaurant, perhaps our new favorite, where we dined. Our numbers had dwindled to three at that point, and we shared a beautiful bottle of St. Emilion. Complex, spicey, and full-bodied, it went very well with our assorted meals. I start out with the saumon fumé, then had steak tartare that was out of this world. Our waiter had a terrific sense of humor. The steak was brought out with herbs, olive oil, some sauces, and a separate bowl. In front of us, and the rest in the restaurant, he mixed them all up.
“What? No design?” I asked in French. He laughed and created a heart with an arrow through it. It was marvelous, and we had a great time. I don’t think anyone had any trouble falling sleep when we returned to our hotel.
Next: The Vth …
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Why am I NOT surprised that you ordered steak tartare, Margo? I remember when that dish was always prepared at the table. Wish I’d been there to see and enjoy that dish I don’t eat in the U.S. What was your vantage point for the new logo? I LOVE that photo.
Yes, Dorothy, it was prepared table-side in the traditional manner and with quite a bit of flair! The Batobus was the vantage point. We were doing another round, waiting for the lights to come on, and the sky lit up. It was magical!
Take care,
TBC