the T-shirt

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Paris, in front of Notre Dame Cathedral, a large group of people (all ages) were doing some sort of crazy dance and humming some sort of crazy tune. I watched for a few minutes, trying to figure out what the commotion was all about. Was it a political rally? Was it a war protest? Was it Greenpeace in action? Then all of sudden a man danced by and his t-shirt seemed to provide the answer to my questions.

The Scribe

Since viewing the King Tutankhamin (King Tut) exhibition in Chicago many years back I've been fascinated by the art and history of early Egyptians. In the Louvre in Paris sits this stunning statue of an Egyptian scibe. At over 4,500 years old its reddish color remain remarkably bright, and the face and eyes so haunting (and lifelike), that I stood in front of it, astonished and literally transfixed for the longest time.

Paris Opera

In an opulent building in central Paris designed by Charles Garnier in 1862, some of the most memorable moments in opera have taken place behind the curtain shown above. Today the "Opera de Paris Garnier" is used mainly for ballet performances, as operas in Paris are staged in the newer "Opera de Paris Bastille" building. However, any visit to Paris should include a tour of this truely remarkable place.

Venus De Milo

The Louvre Museum in Paris contains three of the planet's most photographed pieces of art; the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory (or Goddess Victory), and of course the Venus De Milo. Taking a picture of any of them is quite difficult in the Louvre due to lighting conditions, but mostly due to the very aggressive photographic competition, all pushing and shoving at the same time for the best view. On a recent Sunday afternoon I spent my time there taking photos of people taking photos on their cell phones. As for Venus (shown above) I counted over 90 people taking photos of her at the same time, and it was rather amusing watching all of them at work.