“If you are lucky enough to
have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of
your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
– Ernest Hemingway
=========================================================================
(in
north-central France) Paris, the capital city of France is found along
the Seine River some 233 miles (375 km) upstream from the river’s mouth
on the English Channel. The modern city has spread from the island (the
Île de la Cité) and beyond both banks of the Seine. Paris occupies a
central position in the Paris Basin, and it is by far the country’s most
important center of commerce and culture.
+ For centuries Paris has
been one of the world’s most important and attractive cities. It is
appreciated for the opportunities it offers for business and commerce,
for study, for culture, and for entertainment; its gastronomy, haute
couture, painting, and literature especially enjoy an enviable
reputation. Its sobriquet “the City of Light” (“la Ville Lumière”),
earned during the Enlightenment, remains appropriate (for Paris has
retained its importance as a center for education and intellectual
pursuits).
+ The city's monument-lined boulevards, museums, classical
bistros and boutiques are enhanced by a new wave of multimedia
galleries, creative wine bars, design shops, and tech start-ups. The
cloud-piercing, wrought-iron Eiffel Tower, broad Arc de Triomphe
(guarding the glamorous avenue des Champs-Élysées), lamplit bridges
spanning the Seine, and art nouveau cafes' are enduring Parisian
emblems. There are also some modern and contemporary icons, too, from
the Centre Pompidou to the mur végétal (vertical garden) gracing the
Musée du Quai Branly, and the gleaming steel egg-shaped concert venue La
Seine Musicale.
+ Whether you seek a neighborhood bistro or a
Michelin-starred temple to gastronomy, you will find that every
establishment prides itself on exquisite preparation and presentation.
Enticing patisseries, boulangeries (bakeries), fromageries (cheese
shops), and colorful street markets are great for putting together a
picnic to take to the city’s parks and gardens.
+ With an illustrious
artistic pedigree -– Renoir, Rodin, Picasso, Monet, Manet, Dalí, and
Van Gogh are but a few of the masters who have lived and worked here
over the years -– Paris is one of the world's great art repositories. In
addition to the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay’s exceptional impressionist
collection, and the Centre Pompidou’s cache of modern and contemporary
art, scores of smaller museums showcase every imaginable genre.
+
This city's grand stone and wrought-iron buildings, the sidewalks
brimming with cozy cafés, and the Seine’s curving riverbanks are
downright cinematic. The culinary scene creates an endless list of
must-eat French dishes -- rich and hearty coq au vin, golden buttery
croissants, etc. The spirit of Paris invites lingering in museums, and
exploring lots of shops. Head to the Champ-de-Mars to enjoy great views
of the Eiffel Tower, as it glitters into the night.
No comments:
Post a Comment