The Professor and Her Passport
The musings of a wayward professor
Some of you have asked for details about our Paris apartment. We booked it throug Homeaway. Great site. Extremely pleased. Everything was as described. The owner met us at the unit when we arrived and we have his phone number in case we need anything.
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p6229227
For the typical tourist sites such as Notre Dame and the Effiel Tower would be their first destinations when in the City of Lights. For us, it is a bookstore. Not just any bookstore, but Shakespeare and Company. The original store was home to such literary figures as Joyce, Hemingway, and Ginsberg. It’s current location, across from Notre Dame. The reading rooms on the second floor feature live music and book readings.
Here is the view from our Paris apartment, situated in the heart of Paris, just a few blocks from Notre Dame. The neighborhood is filled with cafes and shops. The metro station is just a block away. This is the perfect location to serve as our home while we explore Paris and the surrounding area.
This cathedral is amazing. I could have spent hours here taking photos. So many amazing windows casting interesting shadows. A mass was in progress while I was there and I found the TV screens attached to the pillars in sharp contrast to the stained glass windows.
Images of Hugo’s novel came to mind when I found this haunting shadow cast by one of the “protectors” in the cathedral.
Famous for the rose window at its entrance, the other stained glass windows are also amazing. 
Given that this was my first time in Paris and first time through CDG airport, I was a bit concerned about my ability to easily access the metro. In reality, the only hard part was the 45 minutes I had to wait in line to clear passport control. Once in the main terminal, the signs were large and frequent. The metro was very fast and not too crowded (compared to those in Istanbul). Trains ran every 8 minutes and the trip from the airport to the Notre Dame station took only about 20 minutes.
Just one short week before I leave for Valencia and the INTED conference. I have a long layover in Paris Saturday, so my plan is to take a train into the city and walk by river, see Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. Will be updating my blog along the way, so stay tuned!
