little bitty girl

I know, it seems that all I've been doing is taking lots of pictures of the same buildings over and over again. I've always been really interested in architecture but more than anything I'm always really fascinated at old buildings. It seems impossible that so many old buildings have survived the passage of time.

I think a big part of it has to do with a nation's willingness to preserve its history. I think France has done a really admirable job of preserving what they have while working around modern conveniences. Everywhere we went, there seemed to be constant work on up keeping of old buildings, or even just keeping the metro clean of graffiti. There seems to be great pride in their city.

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You wonder sometimes whether Parisians ever tire of tourists invading their city. Everywhere we turned there just seemed like truckloads of people going to every site. Every place of interest that we visited always gave the option of at least seven different language translations. I know that for us back home, you either have translations in English or French. I mean you could get specialized tours for your own native language, but it's definitely not part of the general tourism plan. Maybe because Toronto isn't such a huge city where that many people visit a year...

We went to the Notre Dame and even if you are not of the Catholic faith, you cannot help but be in awe of the majesty of the building. It makes sense however that it is such a majestic and beautiful structure. After all, the Church for many centuries has been a major patron of art, not to mention having great influences politically and financially. As we walked through the building I wondered whether modern day technology could recreate such a building or if some of these skills died off over the centuries.

My only complaint about the trip to the Notre Dame is that there seemed to be a disconnect between tourist and respect. Whether or not you are a believer, it is still someone else's place of worship. People were shouting and talking although there were very clear signs that we should be silent and respectful. Even when the crowds were hushed, the murmuring of chatter would rise again near the exit sign. I felt slightly uncomfortable for the people who were there to worship or pray, even though I am not a Catholic. I am sure you could make the choice not to worship there but why should you be chased off by a bunch of tourists?

Lastly, we went to the Marais District and also had a really wonderful French dinner with an old friend at a restaurant called Chez Janou. Out of all the arrondissements we visited, this was probably my favourite so far. Lots of really great cafes, boutiques and galleries. There seemed to be a really cool vibe there. I absolutely loved this wonderful square called Places des Vosges. It was a really sunny afternoon and kids were running around playing, couples, young and old, were just chilling on the many benches or on the grass. It was all in all just a really beautiful place to spend a lovely afternoon.