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Parisian Post Cards, Macaroons, Notre Dame & The Metro
Friday, April 4, 2008 at 10:41PM 
I took this picture from within the bus and through the bus window. Unlike so many of the other pictures I took that way, there is no glare or dirty pane clouding the view. As for why I took the Boulanger pic - what gorgeous color for a bakery and sandwich shop!
Here is one of my artistic guilty pleasures, taking pics of postcards. I know it's wicked, but I'm not reproducing the pics for mass resale. Honestly, I purchased around twenty postcards throughout the whole trip as it was, since the postcard is the 'poor man's/lady's souvenir'.
Parisian Postcards
From the moment you arrive into Paris, you cannot avoid the delicacy of a Pâtisserie. A Pâtisserie is a French bakery that specializes in pastries and sweets (unlike the Boulanger which specializes in bread and sandwiches). In France, it is an official title that only bakeries that employ a maître pâtissier (master pastry chef) may use. The pâtissier is an artist who wants his or her creations to be as individual as they are, which is the reason for so many variations in French pastry shops and in pâtisserie recipes. However the mother of all (in city center Paris) I discovered is a shop called Laduree which I will most likely come to in the next post. The above pic is of macaroons which are extraordinarily more delicious than they even look!
Notre Dame Cathedral!!
Notre Dame cathedral is a Gothic cathedral with amazing examples of stained glass. The entrance sculptures include reliefs of the last judgement. I loved the composition of the Notre Dame candles with the sculptures.
Here we are (Gregg & I) in some courtyard we know not the name of in Paris on our way to the Louvre museum. Gregg is standing in front of a stamp store, apparently the same one that was featured in the Alfred Hitchcock film, Charade (the original Truth About Charlie).
Click to see!
Here are some of our students in that very same courtyard beginning a 53 american student take over of a totem public art piece.
Click to see larger.
What do you think this is? Well, a lot in Paris is done by competitions. For example, when they want a new look for the metro (subway) station they hold a competition. What you see here was a winner! I'm not sure if it was an art 'student' competition or a professional art comp. I wish I could tell you the designers name. Either way, it yielded some pretty interesting results! I don't know why, but as into innovation and originality as I am, I still kind of like the art nouveau classic metro-station pictured above. Still, I wouldn't say no to jewel of a station like this! 
So stay tuned next as we hit the Louvre, the best macaroon ever in Chartres, Laduree, Versailles and who knows what else before we take the night train to Munich! I hope I'm not boring any of you! Keep letting me know what you think, your comments have been FANTASTIC and they keep me charging ahead.
Reader Comments (6)
wow paris seems to be pretty interesting i didnt even know that paris had that kind of art its pretty cool
Even though I've never been to Paris, the pictures that you brought back has shown me that Paris is beautiful and that art is everywhere in Paris no matter where you look - even the food.
man oh man, what amazing pictures, I can taste the macaroons and smell the metro or maybe that is the other way around. Notre Dsme is pretty phenomenal every time I see a new pic. The last judgment with the angel and devil tipping the scales is my favorite. Can't wait to see more and yes Steph you are a little slow on the weekends I guess. Oh well...
those macaroons look so yummyyyy. cant wait for munich and berlin. well emery i think you have a bit of a VERY UNFAIR advantage considering you live with her!!!
Mari I love it waiting for the bus under a little castle.
Great post! Just wanted to let you know you have a new subscriber- me!