Category: People

Alternative Superbowl

Last Saturday our friend Burtt (No. 10) competed in a Special Olympics basketball tournament in Bremerton. This competition is becoming an annual tradition for us. Burtt’s dad and his team coach, David, was a good friend in college and after many years that have taken us in different directions it’s good to be living in the same region again. That’s David’s back in the middle left side of the collage. His shirt reads: “Work for a cause – Not for applause – Live life to express – Not to impress.”

The urban vibe

We took a Sunday walk through Tuilleries Gardens, which dates back to the 1570s. It was originally the site of tilemakers (tuileries) who were cleared out to make way for the grounds and palace that became today’s Louvre Museum. In the late 1600s Andre Le Notre was commissioned to design the gardens that are still enjoyed today.

As we walked to the Orangerie, a nearby museum, I was struck by the seemingly unending mass of humanity filling the gardens. When the heavens loosened a downpour, within moments this crowd all but vanished.

Place des Vosges

One of my tourist guides told me that Place des Vosges is the oldest city square in Paris. As our trip wore on and the crowds seem magnified we found parks like this a wonderful respite from the urban crush. The weather almost always agreed, making outdoor people watching a real pleasure.

The square around Place des Vosges included this promenade with beautiful brick arches.

Passages

Exploring Parisian passages is one of my favorite walking tours. Dating back to the early 19th century these early shopping malls were built to protect pedestrians from mud and horse drawn carriages. Some seem more light and bright, while others are packed with small cafes, antiques, stamp dealers, and even doll house furnishings.

We enjoyed tea and pastries in the bottom left shop while watching shoppers eye the goodies. (For inquiring minds: I had baba au rhum and it was worth every calorie, though I actually lost a little weight on this trip.)

Connected

I don’t live in a population center. It’s probably like this in any big city. But I couldn’t get over the cell phone fixation I saw everywhere in Paris.

We rarely sat down or walked anywhere without someone nearby gazing into his or her phone. A five person dinner group next to us in a café, three generations worth, pulled out five cell phones and at one point all five were gazing into four of the phones. Three other travelers in a train station, all peering into phone screens. Bus riders. Taxi drivers. Seemingly, everyone.