Paris, partly cloudy

Paris is a place that is just begging to be photographed.  The architecture is uniformly beautiful and the residents are well dressed.  Everyone's experience is unique, and yet, getting a unique perspective of Paris through a camera lens feels like a challenge.  As one of the most photographed and iconic places in the world, a lot of shots can feel cliche.

Here's a perspective on Paris on a strangely partly cloudy day in June.  As a front rolled through the sun lit up buildings against a dark gray background.  Instead of trying to capture Paris' icons, I zoomed in on some of the details - shop windows, eclectic hotels and the diversity of street life.

If, on the other hand, you are interested in the quirks of daily life in Paris, David Lebovitz has a witty and entertaining blog here.   He also does a wonderful job covering the diversity of Paris' wonderful culinary scene.

Heavy cloud cover with a spot for the afternoon sun.  Paris.

Detail, gold on grey, Paris.

One of many monuments to the French Royalty, or Napolean.  Paris.

Near the main shopping drag.  Paris.

Colorful cafe scenes, Paris.

More cheerful cafe settings.  Paris.

Regal architecture.  The Westin, Paris.

A storefront that embodied pre-war French architecture.  Irresistible.  Along the main shopping street.  Paris.

Biberon & Sons.  Paris.

Innovative way of avoiding the stairs.  Paris.

A little bit of Motorcycle Diaries makes its way to the backside of a Parisian car.  Cheerful.  

Cute designer chocolates.  I love you... a little... a lot... with passion.  Paris.

A backlit Eiffel Tower.  Paris.

Street hawkers try to push their trinkets and souvenirs.  Paris.

Bridges over the Seine, as seen from the tour boat.  Paris.

Over the Seine.  Paris.

Over the Seine.  Paris.

Boat signage.  The Seine.  Paris.

Gothic architecture along the underside of a bridge.  Paris.

Late night in Paris.

Paris by night.

Fresh produce, and folks out on a weekend stroll.  Paris.

"Le Brunch" is making inroads into French culture.

Sorbonne University, Paris.

Lots of designer handbags in Paris.

Hotel California.  Paris.

More from Sorbonne.

A pretty radical transformation - rugged motorcycle guy to preppy Parisian tourist!

Hello, Paris

Ah, Paris.  

My flight to Paris was long on value (points) and just generally long.  I had an 8AM flight to Boston and then a red-eye onward to the continent.  Thank you American for a free flight, but why did it have to be so painful?

I (tried) to check into my hotel, but of course 10am was a little early to get a room and take a nap.  So I had no choice.  I went out into the city with my camera and tried to get some shots before the city felt familiar.  

So here it is. Paris, early in the morning, in the 3rd and 10th arrondisements.  

Just when you think you have Spanish down.... poussez.

Street scenes, Paris.

Parisian cafes - so much wine, at such a great price.  

Deserted cafes well before lunch.  Paris.

Street signage.  Paris.

A different angle.

Street scenes.  Paris.

Signage.  Paris.

Croissants taste better when they are cute.  Paris.

Mixing chocolate at a pastry shop.  A mesmerizing sight.  Paris.

So French, yet actually Moroccan.  Paris.

Classic Paris.

There is more to Paris than just French culture these days.  Paris.

Designer spices in designer packaging.  Paris.

Brushing by the Russian quarter.  Paris.

Nutella, also known as Kryptonite.  Crepe stand, Paris.

Making inroads - although Frappucino's are the only thing people seem to order.  More of a high-end DQ in the eyes of the French.  Paris.

Going to Paris doesn't mean you have to give up Chinese take-out anymore.  Paris.

The morning commute.  Paris.

Waiting for customers.  Paris.

REI's return policy

Not the best red jacket money could buy.

REI has a wonderfully generous return policy: if you are every unsatisfied with any product, for any reason, return it whenever.

That red jacket in the picture?  It was advertised as a "versatile wind and rain layer."  Well, it was a great wind layer.  But it wasn't very waterproof.  Even worse, one the rain soaked in the thing took forever to dry out.  No exaggeration - it would take a few hours of sitting around in a tent before the dampness was noticeably gone.

So I did what any rational person would do - I returned it.  REI kept up their part of the bargain and refunded the entire amount.

But here's the catch - 4 months later, I sort of deeply regret that decision.  Sure, I got some money back.  But through that whole experience that jacket became part of the trip.  It's like I gave away a photo album, or something.

So, oddly, I probably won't do that again.  Next time I'll love my red jacket, with all its endearing flaws.

Getting a Chinese Visa

Also brought to you by the Communist Party of China

China's bureaucracy exudes a terrifyingly efficient coldness from the get-go.    

I sort of dread the idea of going into any country's consulate, to do anything.  It's like going to the DMV, except a little bit more annoying and the stakes can be higher.  Things that come to mind are bureaucracy, long lines and weird hours.

China is no ordinary country though.  The minute you step through the door, something is wrong.  And by wrong, I mean right.  There are separate queues for separate issues.  There's even a numbering system so you can just take your number and patiently wait the grueling 5 minutes it takes for them to process the twenty people ahead of you in line.

The woman looked at my visa application, nodded, and said one word: "tomorrow."  Really?  That easy?  When I came back the next day my visa was ready.  The guy took my credit card, charged it without saying a word, and waved me on.  The entire process took about 30 seconds.

Swiss efficiency in a developing country with over one billion people.  That made me pause and think for a bit.

Go forward!  In an organized and efficient way!

Tying up loose ends

So I realize my blog posts ended way before my trip did.

I made it home safely to the States, and spent a hectic 7 days getting ready for the next part of the trip.  There were lots of last-minute shopping trips, visits to the Chinese consulate and aggressive trip planning.

Eventually I made it to Europe, a civilized break, for just over a month.  Then I headed East, to Mongolia and China to round out the trip.  China and Mongolia couldn't be different, and they were both very impressive in their own ways.

I'll make a real effort to post the rest of the pics over the next few weeks.  The opportunities for photography were still incredible, even if it wasn't from the saddle of a motorbike in South America!