La Ville de Lumiere- The City of Lights. Paris again..

...Eiffel,  from Palais de Chaillot.

 To start with, The history of Paris seems straight out of Asterix comix ;)

Circa 52BC: Julius Caesar's legions took control of the Gaulish fishing hamlet by the Seine,
settlements of the Celtic tribe called Parisii with wattle and daub huts. Centuries of conflict between the Gauls and Rome ended. There the Romans built a provincial capital, Lutecia. The Roman town came to be known as Paris after the first settlers.
[Another Roman settlement of Londinium was established by the Thames in Britanny, nearly a century later. So Paris seems to be an older city than London ! :) ]

>..>>Ad in a Metro Station... >..>>

Am happy to be back. Last weekend was too short a trip to explore, as one full day was just for the Tour de France experince.. had to return without even attampting to scratch the surface of what Paris has to offer. This week, though made an attempt in 3days, still don't feel that I've even scratched the surface ! :) There's SO MUCH to do. Not sure if there is any other place on earth which will leave you with such a feeling. It's sso bloody charming. Someone said, if there's a Godess of Nostalgia, she ought to be French!! Well, here they celebrate the human spirit with such a panache, that the memories will leave you always wanting for more, wanting to come back. Starting with their language, the French seems to have that magical touch, making the everyday things look appealing- wonder if there are better masters of that art. And talking about Art, it's such an unimaginably rich treasure trove that you'll easily be lost in the vastness, the moment you step into that world- and you don't need to be a connoisseur to sense that. Their special taste in art and finer things in life is tangible for an outsider, in the sights, sounds and smells around.
I've always wondered why and how Paris was once The Ultimate destination for the artistes, wannabes and literati. That evoked quite some interest and I've been waiting to once experience the place to see if there's still vestiges of that aura, and to find out if that can actually be sensed by someone who has only a general interest in art and is not per se an artist :) . I have only got an intuitive answer for that- probably the artists would find many likeminded souls. But that's just a superficial understing. Am in search of an insightful answer. Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast", supposed to be portraying bohemian life in Paris, might have the answer. I better grab a copy.

More photos ..>>.>>..


Paris by Night



...Palais de Chaillot- from Eiffel.

Arc de Triomphe- from Eiffel...

...The Moulin Rouge. Paris icon and cabaret venue.
Sparkling Eiffel. The Light Show..