An American in Paris: Part 4

As mentioned previously, Andree was a fabulous host.  We went to the markets by her apartment and bought all sorts of foodstuffs, and she cooked real French food, as she is really French.  On Friday, when she had to work, she gave me the spare key to her apartment and said I could come and go as I wanted - which was fabulous of her.

The view from Andree's apartment.  On the top of the hill is the cathedral Sacre Coeur.

Notre Dame.

From the side, also Notre Dame.

Hot chocolate in Europe is divine.  It is just like melted chocolate pieces, and its like a work-out to consume it.

In the 1860's a man named Baron Haussmann was commissioned by Napoleon III to 'revamp' Paris.  Haussman demolished huge swaths of the medieval Paris (as art history texts say, the cramped and dirty medieval streets of Paris) to create the new broad boulevards that make up contemporary Paris.  It is funny to learn about this in an art history class, and I theoretically knew that Haussmann did this, but I had not realized how extensive this 19th-century urban renewal campaign was until visiting Paris.

So most of the buildings look alike, and an avenue or boulevard typically looks like this:

That's Andree down in the corner.

We wandered around a great deal on Saturday and Sunday, visiting the Musee d'Orsay and the Maison Europeenne de la Photographie.  The weather was practically perfect for outdoors walking the entire time I was in France.  This is Notre Dame from the verso.

The Mayor of Paris is based here.  Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite.

Looking toward Notre Dame from the Mayor's office.

Andree lives near Montmarte, the arrondissement where Amelie Poulain lives.

Paris was great, and I may be back to visit again before the summer ends!