Paris trip

May 1995

	Rochelle and I took the Eurostar to Paris for our mother's 50th birthday. Naturally we took her around all the touristy sites rather than getting deep into contemporary Parisian life. The Sacré Coeur cathedral sits atop Montmartre hill, affording good views from its roof, which we climbed. The dome itself changes colour as the sun hits it, looking orange, pink or brilliant white according to the light. The steps up to the basilica often have vendors of hats and other knick-knacks sitting on them.
	The Louvre is a big museum / art gallery in a central location, at one end of Paris' grandest prospect. From there it is a straight line to the Arc de Triomphe down the Champs Elysées and past that to the Grand Arch of La Defense, which was President Miterand's stab at writing himself into the monumental history of Paris in the 1980s.
	The Opera house is rather grand and was the inspiration for the Phantom of the Opera.
	Someone decided to put a garden inside a building. I have no idea why.
	From high up, you can see how Baron Haussmann's boulevards cut through the Parisian housing blocks to form lines on a map. The entire city is magnolia coloured, but it looks OK.
	The Moulin Rouge is a touristy nightspot that offers variety entertainment. In the past it was famous for racey shows, and was the birthplace of the cancan. I didn't actually go in, but from the look of the place the only indecent things in there nowadays are the prices.
	The Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris, but had its critics in the early days.