Photos
France
Not many destinations have the unfairly deserved bad reputation of Paris. It’s. just. a. city. Either I was freakishly lucky or the stories of dirt and rude waiters aren’t true. Dress nicely, speak even your lamest French, try to fit in, and you’re accepted. Sometimes it’s a little gritty, but the city of lights is gorgeous, the food is wonderful, it’s easy to get around, and no place I’ve been rewards wandering without a map like this one. All pictures July 2012 except Lille (August 2012).

If You Go
You can consult my tour notes on the city, but in short, Paris is for wandering, sipping coffee, eating something great, watching girls on the plages, and appreciating some art leisurely. Do spend the first few days rushing around the Eiffel and Louvre with your Lonely Planet and museum pass (buy the pass!), but then put on comfortable shoes and just go out and look at stuff.



Notre Dame Cathedral
July 2012
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Pont Neuf from Seine
July 2012
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St. Michel Fountain
July 2012
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St. Sulpice Interior
July 2012
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Subway Busker
July 2012
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Eiffel Tower at Night
July 2012
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Louvre Museum
July 2012
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Seine at Night
July 2012
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First Breakfast, St. Germain, Paris › July 2012. Pont St. Michel, Paris › July 2012. St. Michel Metro Sign, Paris › July 2012. Latin Quarter Rain, Paris › July 2012. Night From Eiffel Tower, Paris › July 2012. St. Germain Apartment, Paris › July 2012. St. Germain Coffee, Paris › July 2012. Luxembourg Garden Flowers, Paris › July 2012. Luxembourg Garden Boats, Paris › July 2012. Luxembourg Garden View, Paris › July 2012. Luxembourg Garden Chairs, Paris › July 2012. Vaugirard Restaurant Lunch, Paris › July 2012. Dali Sundial, St. Germain, Paris › July 2012. Rue de Seine Fruit, Paris › July 2012. Quai Malaquais, Paris › July 2012. Seine Plages, Paris › July 2012. Pont des Artes, Paris › July 2012. Pont des Artes Padlocks, Paris › July 2012. Shakespeare and Company Bookstore, Paris › July 2012. Shakespeare and Company Blue Room, Paris › July 2012. Metro Musicians, Paris › July 2012. Downtown Paper Stand, Paris › July 2012. Ile Saint-Louis Shop, Paris › July 2012. Pont Notre Dame Sunset, Paris › July 2012. Latin Quarter Night, Paris › July 2012. Latin Quarter Alley, Paris › July 2012. St. Germain Night, Paris › July 2012. Morning Graffitti, St. Germain, Paris › July 2012. The First Metre, Paris › July 2012. Latin Quarter Lunch, Paris › July 2012. D'Orsay Museum Diner, Paris › July 2012. D'Orsay Raw Beef, Paris › July 2012. D'Orsay Ceiling Detail, Paris › July 2012. Tuileries Garden, Paris › July 2012. Montmartre View South, Paris › July 2012. St. Michel Bridge at Night, Paris › July 2012. Notre Dame at Night, Paris › July 2012. Notre Dame Interior, Paris › July 2012. Notre Dame Glass, Paris › July 2012. Arc de Triomphe, Paris › July 2012. Arc de Triomphe Spiral Stairs, Paris › July 2012. View from Arc de Triomphe Roof, Paris › July 2012. Invalides, Paris › July 2012. Eiffel Tower by Day, Paris › July 2012. Eiffel Tower Low View, Paris › July 2012. Eiffel Tower at Night, Paris › July 2012. Eiffel Tower Night Crowd, Paris › July 2012. Eiffel Tower from Ground, Paris › July 2012. Lafayette Galleries, Paris › July 2012. Paris Opera, Paris › July 2012. St. Chapelle People, Paris › July 2012. St. Chapelle View, Paris › July 2012. St. Chapelle Glass, Paris › July 2012. St. Chapelle Detail, Paris › July 2012. St. Chapelle Sunset Glint, Paris › July 2012. St. Chapelle Peaks, Paris › July 2012. St. Chapelle Monsters, Paris › July 2012. East of Montmartre, Paris › July 2012. Montmartre View, Paris › July 2012. Montmartre, Paris › July 2012. Sacred Couer, Paris › July 2012. St. Michel at Night, Paris › July 2012. St. Michel Place, Paris › July 2012. St. Sulpice, St. Germain, Paris › July 2012. St. Sulpice Chapel, Paris › July 2012. Tour St. Jacques, Paris › July 2012. Place de la Concorde, Paris › July 2012. University Area, Paris › July 2012. University of Paris Door, Paris › July 2012. Pompideau Centre, Paris › July 2012. Venus de Milo, Louvre, Paris › July 2012. Venus and Mars, Louvre, Paris › July 2012. Italian Hall, Louvre, Paris › July 2012. Liberty, Louvre, Paris › July 2012. Mona Lisa Tourists, Paris › July 2012. Mona Lisa, Paris › July 2012. Louvre Ceiling, Paris › July 2012. Book of the Dead, Louvre, Paris › July 2012. Medieval Crown, Louvre, Paris › July 2012. Henri Reliquary, Louvre, Paris › July 2012. Charles V, Louvre, Paris › July 2012. Probsatt Arms, Louvre, Paris › July 2012. Cuper Watch, Louvre, Paris › July 2012. Napoleon III Apartment, Louvre, Paris › July 2012. D'Orsay Museum Roof, Paris › July 2012. Triumph Over Death, Museum of Middle Ages, Paris › July 2012. Allemane Table, Museum of Middle Ages, Paris › July 2012. Lady With the Unicorn, Museum of Middle Ages, Paris › July 2012. Gare Nord Train Sign, Paris, Paris › August 2012. Street Busker, Lille › August 2012. Corbusier Street, Lille › August 2012. Grand Place, Lille › August 2012. Corbusier Street Corner, Lille › August 2012. Marais High Clouds › July 2012. Eiffel Sparkling › July 2012. St. Sulpice Interior Tall › July 2012. Eiffel Arch Blue › July 2012. Eiffel Up Angle View › July 2012. Dali Sundial Close-Up › July 2012. Germaine Night Menu › July 2012. Rene Viviani Park, by Bookstore › July 2012. St. Germaine Restaurant Crowd › July 2012. Champs Elysees Low Flowers › July 2012. Louvre Gallery Ceiling › July 2012. Pompideau Busker › July 2012. St. Louis Street › July 2012. Bastille Sign › July 2012. Road off St. Germaine › July 2012. Breakfast in Hard Light › July 2012. First Breakfast › July 2012. Notre Dame Gargoyles Gate › July 2012. Plages From High › July 2012. Pont des Artes South View › July 2012. Quai View › July 2012. Rambuteau › July 2012. St. Germaine Fruit › July 2012. St. Michel Place › July 2012. Arc Stairwell Blur, St. Germaine › July 2012. Champs Elysees From Roof › July 2012. Eiffel From Triomphe Roof › July 2012. Elysees Flowers › July 2012. Germaine Night Menu › July 2012. Germaine Street Night › July 2012. St. Chapelle Crowd › July 2012. Venus Rear, Louvre › July 2012. D'Orsay Corner › July 2012. Reliquary Close, Louvre › July 2012. Apartment Stairwell Straight Down › July 2012. Assisi Reliquary, Louvre › July 2012. Dauphine Buildings › July 2012. Palace Statue › July 2012. Sorbonne Front › July 2012. Sorbonne Up › July 2012. St. Chapelle Glass › July 2012. Valette Ecoles › July 2012. Bridge D'Lena › July 2012. Eiffel Interior Lights › July 2012. Jacques Callot Metal › July 2012. Lafayette Ceiling Detail › July 2012. Lafayette Up › July 2012. Eiffel Second Stage Up › July 2012. St. Germaine Buci Cafe › July 2012. Des Pres Ceiling › July 2012. Gabrielle Sunset › July 2012. Marais Angles › July 2012. Sacre Coeur View From Hillside › July 2012. Seine Night › July 2012. Sulpice Hall Glint › July 2012. Sulpice Tall › July 2012. Sulpice Wide › July 2012. Rue Faidherbe, Lille › August 2012. Manneliers Colors, Lille › August 2012. Manneliers, Lille › August 2012. View Toward Grand Place, Lille › August 2012.