Au Revoir Paris

This is what Paris has been for me. It has been fantastic food, outstanding company, and eye opening history. The first time I arrived I was confronted by the drunks that surround the Gare Du Nord train station but it wasn't until my second trip that I realized that side of town wasn't the Paris that people know and love. This time around I stayed in the center of it. I was lucky enough to have an amazing uncle who unconditionally took me into to his apartment on the Champs de Elysees. The boardwalk basically parallels the river and is home to three of the most useful landmarks for navigating Paris. There is the obelisk at its base that not only signifies that you are at the river but also announces the entrance to the Louvre. Second, in the center of the street, is the Arc de Triumph which can be seen from miles away. And third you have the "Central Park" of Paris. Im a mountain guy. So when it comes to cities, just as in the wild, I need my points of interest to keep my bearings and stay on course. In the last couple days I have walked the vast majority of terrain that Paris has to offer. Both sides of the river and both sides of the shoreline. The history seeps into you with every placard obscurely placed and although there may not be a crowd reading it, it doesn't mean it is not important. Today I walked down to the Louvre. And like the placards I found that the plantings that people tended to neglect turned out to be more interesting. The faces, the contorted bodies, and especially the hands. While people were huddled around the Mona Lisa because its notoriety I was snapping shots of hands. I'm no artist, at least not in the realm of those whose painting call the Louvre home, but I find hands to be the most difficult to get right. My art is something that Ken Kesey may enjoy but lacks the realism and tangibility of the greats. The way they make the art speak to the viewer is a gift I could only dream of understanding. But nonetheless I aspire to learn. I spent a little over three hours touring each and every piece of art and the patience made me respect two things. One, I got to see the artists who are less known and two, I got to respect the museum more. It flowed like a well organized album, each song seems to belong after the last and before the next, each art piece seemed to catalyze the next as if they were all intertwined. My stay in Paris has made me respect Europe more than it made me respect France. Of course I learned more about French culture and the people, whom I completely enjoy, but it was the fact that In the period of one day I went from Ireland to France and experienced a whole new world. I guess thats what I get for living in one of the biggest nations in the world. I can travel all day and only go from MN to MT. But in Europe's highly cultural and country packed land you can experience a lifetimes worth of different foods, musics, and traditions. My bag is packed and as I said it only takes one day. Tomorrow morning it's off to Florence for me. I arrive at 5pm and can't wait to see the city I once called home. I can picture the layout of the streets and the Ponte Vecchio. I don't know how long I plan to stay there but when your just traveling with no reservations why try to create them and in turn ruin the freedom. The only reservation I may have to make is at Il Latini (my favorite restaurant). This trips seems to be dwindling down but I keep forgetting that I still have two months left. I haven't heard from my readers in quite some time so if your out there send my a comment. If you have any suggestions I am all ears. I hope everyone is having a great week. And have a superb friday. Wish me luck on my travels. Au Revoir.
-Chad A. Dokken

Location:Champs Elysees Paris