Am having a really wonderful time here. Paris is much better than I expected it to be. In fact, I prefer it to Vienna. There are some wonderful parks, the streets, avenues and people are very interesting and of course there are the buildings.
Yesterday I stood by the tomb of the unknown soldier under the Arc De Triomphe and climbed - literally - the Effel tower. There was a huge queue for the lifts so we decided to use the stairs instead.
Up and up we went in an endless curve of spiral staircase. Apparently, in Edwardian days, sporty young men would see who could run up the 1,652 steps in the shortest time. The best times would then be printed in the local paper!
The tower really in a marvel of 19th century engineering. Although the tower is 300m/984ft tall, the sway at the top is never more than 4 and a half inches - although its height can vary by as much as 6 inches due to the temperature.
The Arc De Triomphe is absolutely amazingly overpowering when you stand right underneath it. One can imagine what foreigners must have thought when they beheld it for the first time back in the 19th century.
Another very interesting place that we visited was the American Cathedral. This was built in the late 19th century but in is the gothic style. It really is an incredibly piece of architecture. In fact it reminds me strongly of Oxford.
My hostess is really very good. She has a lovely flat full of all my favourite books and with a balcony overlooking a large private garden. It's lovely to sit out there as it is very quiet and the only sound is of birdsong and occasionally the sound of the man across the way playing his classical guitar. Also, the weather here is very agreeable - 25C and sunny.
All in all, this is a very conducive for writing...only I forgot to take my notepad so today I am going to buy one.
I am strongly tempted to postpone my return to England until next week as it will not be possible for me to come and visit Paris again until next year. Also, there are so many places to visit and it's so much better if you don't have to rush around like a mad tourist!
Yesterday I stood by the tomb of the unknown soldier under the Arc De Triomphe and climbed - literally - the Effel tower. There was a huge queue for the lifts so we decided to use the stairs instead.
Up and up we went in an endless curve of spiral staircase. Apparently, in Edwardian days, sporty young men would see who could run up the 1,652 steps in the shortest time. The best times would then be printed in the local paper!
The tower really in a marvel of 19th century engineering. Although the tower is 300m/984ft tall, the sway at the top is never more than 4 and a half inches - although its height can vary by as much as 6 inches due to the temperature.
The Arc De Triomphe is absolutely amazingly overpowering when you stand right underneath it. One can imagine what foreigners must have thought when they beheld it for the first time back in the 19th century.
Another very interesting place that we visited was the American Cathedral. This was built in the late 19th century but in is the gothic style. It really is an incredibly piece of architecture. In fact it reminds me strongly of Oxford.
My hostess is really very good. She has a lovely flat full of all my favourite books and with a balcony overlooking a large private garden. It's lovely to sit out there as it is very quiet and the only sound is of birdsong and occasionally the sound of the man across the way playing his classical guitar. Also, the weather here is very agreeable - 25C and sunny.
All in all, this is a very conducive for writing...only I forgot to take my notepad so today I am going to buy one.
I am strongly tempted to postpone my return to England until next week as it will not be possible for me to come and visit Paris again until next year. Also, there are so many places to visit and it's so much better if you don't have to rush around like a mad tourist!
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