oui oui, tres belle tres belle

Paris is always great..

Met up with Le Don and Adam this time.

Spent our day people watching in a cafe somewhere by Opera and of course with ciggarettes and wine in hand.

And then to La Basilica du Sacre Coeur, which wasn't so bad since these two heavy chain smoker and drinker couldn't climb the stairs that fast. Paris was pretty from above. It was quiter although tourists were still around. As I got on the top of the Basilica I could see Paris up to 30 miles away which was a much rather impressive view compared to the one from Pompidou.

La Basilica was not that great- vitruvian ideals, renaissance characteristics, although completed quite recent in the time, division of sacred and profane space. I am not a big fan of churces although I must say I prefer Renaissance churches compared to Steven Holl's church.


But undoubtedly, one of the best time I had was actually not in one of these tourist spots, but rather in Adam's cramped and small apartment by Odeon; talking to this girl from Stockholm and a Parisian girl who was in our school last semester while eating pate, bread, cheese, tomato and of course with ciggarettes and rose wine in hand.

I am not a smoker at all, but I know if I were to stay in Europe for longer time. One of these days I will be one.

As I sat down on a bench somewhere in La Defense listening to the street noise and watching people, I was pretty much saddened by the fact this was my last trip to Paris before heading back to Los Angeles on the coming Monday. But like they say in Casablanca, "we will always have Paris"

Au Revoir, till next time.