Eiffel Tower

Years ago I would load up a camera with Kodachrome Infrared film and fire away, usually at Fall Color time, and see how the images came out a week later when the slides were processed. Today a digital SLR would have to be converted to Infrared to get the same result and the photos would be shot blind as the processor would not be able to let us see the image in the shooting. So I have been playing with some Infrared-style effects in Photoshop and came up with an image I really like. Can you guess which image is the technical Infrared effect?

I also added one of my fall color images taken at a forest preserve in the 80s with Infrared film. Will it help you to choose the Eiffel that is in IF? A new topic will begin tomorrow with the beginning of December.

Back on the Bus

After the quick visit to Mona Lisa, it was time for a slow bus ride through the rush hour traffic of north Paris. Back over the Seine and through the shopping district, intent on coming back to the City of Lights and spending lots more time there. After another smooth Eurostar ride to London, it was nice to see our classic hotel, the Jolly St. Ermin's, bathed in warm light.

Two Poems:

TOWERS

Eighteen months ago in Las Vegas I visited the top of the faux Eiffel Tower;
A wonderful view of the south Strip, based on a one-half scale of the original.
Looking up at the real thing, I thought it looked more like ten times the size,
Fitted with marvelous views of the Seine and an excellent restaurant, we wined
And dined with a half-dozen new friends, snapping several photographs.
I knew in Vegas that the real thing was a lot better, especially when I realized the
Tour of the Tower I thought I was taking was the Tour Eiffel, not a tour.
Now I know better.


TIME FLIES

Time flies when you are having fun, as the cliché goes, and seeing all of Paris
In one day qualifies as time flying and at supersonic speeds.
Next time, time in Paris will be measured in days not hours and we will find
Another Bordeaux nearly as good as the one we loved up the Tour.

On the Seine

After completing our panoramic view of Paris, we boarded a large tour boat for a nice one-hour view of the city from the Seine. We saw lots of bridges, plenty of river traffic, and the river view of several important buildings. From the river, the view of Notre Dame is impressive, although less so than standing on the sidewalk -- something that will happen on our next trip to Paris.

Other than Notre Dame and the bridges, with their decorative columns, the most impressive building seen was the Louvre. And we did have the time to visit there, which will be the subject of the next post.

Another Pano & A Tour Guide

We were quite fortunate that all the tour guides we met in our 18 days abroad were excellent. Our guide to Paris joined us on the Eurostar and we discovered that she is a young French woman, now living in London and taking several tour groups to Paris each week. Charlotte is quite knowledgeable, organized, and more than willing to answer questions. And I also recall her answer to a question of mine.

She had come down the aisle of the train, taking attendance and introducing herself. We had settled in for the trip, enjoying the British scenery and noticing that we went through more than one tunnel. Since the Channel Tunnel is 45 miles long, it would take some 15 minutes to "undergo" the crossing. When our guide introduced herself, she had a soft voice with a relatively indeterminate accent to American ears.

We were a bit less than an hour from Paris and I was pretty sure we had made the crossing. As I noticed the farm fields looked much the same as they had earlier, I noticed our guide was coming down the aisle. I asked if we had indeed arrived in France. She smiled, gestured toward the window, and said, "Look out and see how beautiful it is and you will know, of course we are in France."

After she walked on, I mentioned that she had a definite French lilt to her accent. A clear French accent. Just as soon as we had emerged from the Chunnel!

Eiffel Tower Panoramas

Of course, at times,the photos can speak for themselves. The panoramic view from the restaurant level of the Tower was wonderful.

Eiffel Tower

The focal center of Paris, of course, is the Eiffel Tower. We were fortunate to be scheduled for a champagne luncheon on the main level of the Tower, and we were whisked up to a wonderful meal with a chicken dish that may be the best chicken I ever tasted along with certainly the best potatoes (au gratin, naturally). A nice Bordeaux was on the table and the company was interesting and excited.

After lunch we had a good half-hour to enjoy the view from the observation deck. Some of the sights of Paris in the next post.

Paris Bus Tour

With only a bit more than an hour, we were able to see quite a lot of the sights of Paris. The bus gave us a great view of the entrance plaza at the Louvre, and we managed to see the National Assembly, the Champs Elysees, and we were able to circle the Arc De Triomphe. A true teaser, making us all want to return to Paris for more time to walk, to see things close up, to meet people. But for the purpose of the day trip, it was excellent.

Nice Luncheon at the Eiffel Tower

Stratford out of the way, we got up early the next morning for a ride to St. Pancras International, the train station that is the London terminal for Eurostar. The high-speed train hits 185 mph and takes people through the Chunnel, making the time between the two capitols only two hours, fifteen minutes. An adventure in itself.

Arrival in Paris at the Gare du Nord was followed by an informative hour on a tour bus, seeing several monuments and buildings on the way to a wonderful luncheon. More on the tour in the next post.