Paris, France, December 22, 1998

I was sent on two days' notice to a customer site in France on Sunday, 12/20/1998. I didn't have too much time to prepare the fun part of the trip, but I did bring my trusty camera along. I also brought along a tripod, just in case I would have to take night pictures. Well, this is Paris, the City of Lights after all, so appropriately, most of the time I spent in Paris was at night. (I had to be at the customer site during the day at Rueil Malmaison, a western suburb of Paris until December 23) After my work was done on the 12/22, I couldn't resist exercising my freedom by going all over Paris at night...

I visited Paris 14 years ago in 1984, so this visit had a feeling of familiarity, like visiting an old friend.

Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe is at Place Charles de Gaulle on the west end of
the avenue des Champs-Elysées. This is where political-military statements
were made - Adolf Hitler and Charle de Gaulle are some of the Who's Who
to have marched through this arch. Twelve major streets merge at this étoile
so you can imagine what a traffic mess this place can be.
Looking Eastward on the Champs-Elysées

Tourists flock to the Champs-Elysées to do some window shopping. The
avenue is lined with various theatres, cafes, and of course fashionable
shops. I'm looking eastward toward Place de la Concorde. The Christmas-
decorated trees that lined the avenue looked pretty from this angle. The
round object you see near the end is a ferris wheel at the Place de la
Concorde - I guess it was there just for the holidays.
Tour Eiffel

Tour Eiffel, or the Eiffel Tower has been around since 1889. It's
considered the symbol of Paris by many. I took this photo from Parc
du Champ de Mars minutes before I went all the way up the Tower.
The view from the other side, on Palais du Chaillot/Jardins du Trocadéro
is more popular, but I found this side to be more serene.

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