Arc de Triomphe - monument dedicated to all the Frenchmen who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. Construction was completed in the mid-1830s.

On maps, this stretch of tree-lined concrete is known as the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, thought it is fondly referred to by Parians as "La plus belle avenue du monde." Translation? The most beautiful avenue in the world.

Quick fact: The Champs-Élysées begins at the Arc de Triomphe (seen in photo) and extends to the Place de la Concorde. Not really that long, just that famous.

It's a Vuarnet day, John.

Eiffel Tower shot through the greatest sunglasses on the face of the Earth. Totally becoming my version of the roaming gnome.

Unfortunately, we were unable to reach the top of the tower due to repairs on the elevator. Apparently, it's not possible to take stairs to the top, which I would have much preferred anyway... so I was bummed. Still, just being able to look upon Paris, clouds or no clouds, top or no top, sparked enough thoughts revolving around its fairly lengthy history to keep me busy for a few years.

Climbing, climbing...

continued.

Tour Eiffel.

Classic tourist shot. Had to cross it off my to-do list.

I wasn't sure where I was.

See? Now... how could I lie about something like this?

The translation of the fine print reads as follows:

"All-star bodyguard and minor-league catcher, Robin Hood, to play country music while dancing with wolves in Waterworld, following latest underdog golf victory."

Please note the quote, unquote.

What a cool remote-controlled sail boat! Certainly not knocking little newspaper boats, but look at that nautical toy slicing through the water on its starboard side! What agility! Those little figurines must be having a great time.

Michael! Row, er, sail your boat ashore! Hallelujah!

Hôtel des Invalides, or more specifically for both of the above shots, Dôme des Invalides. Built in the late 1670s, the annex you see here served as the church for "aged" or injured war veterans residing in the Hôtel des Invalides and eventually as the final resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte, Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon II, Jérôme Bonaparte and many other French military notables. The structure is also home to the Musée de l'Armée, a museum dedicated to French military history, which even if it is the French, is a major interest of mine.

Nerdy nerd, nerd, nerd, nerd.

I have the Military Channel on right now - a DVR-ed hour-long program titled "Wings Over the Pacific" about aerial warfare in the Pacific during WWII. First-hand accounts? Super. This is what I do with my Saturdays when my roommates aren't around. Grind some coffee beans, grab a sleeve of cookies and watch some history.

"We need to find a jazz club."
"Hm, ok let's ask around."

Brad and Alli ask around, on the street, in various establishments... nada. No one has a clue. What? How can this be? Defeated, they begin to make the trek back to the hotel.

"Maybe we should walk up this street just a littttllle bit farther..."
"Yeah, good idea."

Le Petit Journal: Jazz Bar, not even three blocks up from our turn off. Great. Mind you, this trip was intentionally made without the efforts of cell phones and/or computers. Computer stayed at home. Not surprisingly, I think we did all right.

Interior Le Petit Journal.

Bouillabaisse, a traditional French fish stew made with rascasse (scorpionfish in English) originating from Marseille. Served with rouille and French bread, the stew is heavy enough to recognizably hit the entire palette and light enough to lead you into your next course. If you were wondering, my rouille is hiding behind the bowl - not yet in the stew. Poor food photography, Alli. Way to go.

"I own the hotel - and I live there. My life is very much like Monopoly." - Hugh Grant and/or Napoleon.

Closing down the Louvre at 8 p.m. is the same thing as closing down Manitoba's in Alphabet City at 8 a.m.

Discuss.

And to think! All that time spent in Aussieland, trying to get the perfect over/under shot, all I had to do was come to Paris! Hmm... I wonder if it counts that I was with an Australian (hi Brad!). This photo is funny though, because one usually expects the old to be under the new, not the new under the old.

Ah yes, the age old dichotomy of new and old.