Martin and Sarah in France, Day 1

Scenes from our trip around Paris' Marais neighborhood. Click any thumbnail to get a larger photo.
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Monument at the Place de Bastille. The Bastille used to be here, but it's long gone. Sarah meets Louis XIII at Place des Vosges. Fountain at Place des Vosges. Sarah meets Medusa.
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So many buildings, we didn't catch all their names. This is near Place des Vosges. That's in the Marais district. And now for something completely different... ...the Stravinsky fountain. Each sculpture is said to represent one of his compositions.
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But we don't know which is which; we should really brush up on our Stravinsky. It's a little-known fact that Stravinsky wrote "I Can't Get No Satisfaction." Here Martin tries to blend in with the sculptures at the Stravinsky fountain. Modern art right next to a Gothic church; we've already forgotten which church this is.
MVC-019F.JPG (28296 bytes) MVC-021F.JPG (45055 bytes) During our walk around Marais, we came across a Haagen-Dazs shop in the Jewish quarter with a large crowd standing around it and a TV turned up loud. We stepped in closer to see what was going on. That's how we learned the World Trade Center had been hit by a plane. At that point, it was just the first tower, and we didn't immediately realize the extent of the damage, nor that the plane had been a hijacked airliner. So we went to a falafel restaurant, ate, wandered around some more, and went back to our hotel. That's when we got the rest of the tragic news.
     Americans overseas feel shocked and helpless. There really wasn't much we could do except pray, and let our friends know we were safe. We decided not to let fear keep us from having the vacation we had planned. So, although there's a somber mood in Paris and in our hearts, and although the city is on military alert, we've kept on traveling and sightseeing. The French and the other Americans we've met have extended their concerns and feelings of solidarity.
Half tricycle, half seahorse...perhaps this is really the Dr. Seuss fountain. A friendly gargoyle says hello.