July 22, 2008
I’ve been in Paris for over three weeks now, which means I have about a week to go before I return to Scotland. I have enjoyed my time here thoroughly and am definitely glad that I chose to do this program. The beautiful summer days of Paris will be fond memories for years to come, no doubt. As a small window into some of these memories, here are some of the things I’ve enjoyed the most (in no particular order):
1. Aimless sauntering through Paris. The city invites you to get lost in its myriad of small, crooked alleyways and streets spread out through the various Parisian neighbourhoods. There is another PhD student from New College here named Greg, and several days after our morning classes we have explored the city together.
Resting of place of French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and his wife and fellow-philosopher, Simone de Beauvoir
At a train station on the way to Versailles
In the Jardin des Tuileries
Street in the Montemarte area
Rue Daguerre, a pedestrian street around the corner from my apartment
…And what would walking through a large city be without a street act?
2. The bridges of Paris. The Seine River weaves its way through the city, necessitating the dozens of Parisian bridges.
The Simone de Beauvoir Bridge, near the National Library of France
Passerelle des Arts, a pedestrian bridge leading to the Louvre
Pont de Bercy
Pont de La Concorde by night
Pont Neuf, quite possibly the most famous Parisian bridge, both due to its architecture and its appearances in several films (remember the scene here from The Bourne Identity?)
3. Basilique du Sacré-Cœur (”Basilica of the Sacred Heart”) is a Roman-Catholic basilica that sits on a hill in the northern section of Paris. Resting atop Montmartre Butte it is the city’s highest point. It therefore can be seen from numerous places throughout Paris and affords one of the most amazing views of the city. I went there in my first week here and visited both the inside of the basilica and upper parts of its dome. The inside was nice, but the view from the dome was easily one of my all-time favourites.
These are the stairs from which I initially approached the basilica
The winding and enclosed stairs to the top of the dome suddenly reward you with this breathtaking view. Here you can see, of course, the Eiffel Tower, but the view from the dome also allows you to look in virtually every direction.
If ever in Paris, make visiting the Sacré-Cœur a top priority
A little over a week to go and Katie comes tomorrow…can’t believe my July in Paris is almost over.
































