And I'm not talking about my study of the French language--although I could be, come to think of it...Anyway, after leaving my conversation group yesterday, I started walking and of course got lost, as I do most times. But that is not a problem for me and I don’t worry about it (unless I need to find a bathroom!). Each time I am lost, I stumble upon several things that I’d wanted to eventually find anyway; plus, it’s amazing how you get a better feel for the proximity of things.
The other day I purposely took off in a different direction after leaving my apartment—and within 10-15 minutes came upon the Carnavalet Museum that I rode a Metro to one day! I know it took me that long to walk to the Metro, get on the train, leave the Metro, and find the museum! So walking is a good thing. When I’m ready to head home, I can determine where I am by finding any bus stop or Metro station, plus there are signs pointing you to major sights and maps of the area everywhere.
Keep in mind that Paris streets are not laid out in a square grid; they shoot out at angles from everywhere. Additionally, you may be walking along Boulevard du Temple which becomes Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire—and then suddenly, you look up to see you’re walking on Boulevard Beaumarchais! And you have not turned right or left along the way. Very confusing. The answer to this is a very good Plan de Paris (map); and I have an excellent one. It’s a book that lists all the streets, the arrondissement (governmental jurisdictions) and closest Metro stop for that particular street, plus it provides the particular map page for you to study. But I generally hate standing amongst a group of people fumbling with even a map book (let alone those huge fold-out things!). So I just continue to wander and drink in all the sights.
These pictures are some of the treasures I've stumbled upon over the last couple of days. At the top is the artwork in the courtyard of the Palais Royal. Then a picture of a typical passage, the Galeries Vivienne. And notice the bullet holes on the Ecole Militaire (Military School)? This is from where Napoleon graduated, trained in high-tech artillery. It's said that they leave these bullet holes on buildings and monuments around the city so that the French remember their history and struggles.
These pictures are some of the treasures I've stumbled upon over the last couple of days. At the top is the artwork in the courtyard of the Palais Royal. Then a picture of a typical passage, the Galeries Vivienne. And notice the bullet holes on the Ecole Militaire (Military School)? This is from where Napoleon graduated, trained in high-tech artillery. It's said that they leave these bullet holes on buildings and monuments around the city so that the French remember their history and struggles.
