Another highlight of my visit to Paris was a day trip to Auvers-sur-Oise, a small rural community about 22 miles northwest of Paris where Vincent van Gogh spent his final days.

Without a doubt the most surreal experience of the trip occurred as I was walking toward the marché rue de Buci. A car pulled along side of me and got my attention. The driver said he and his friend were on their way back to Italy, but saw me and stopped because they thought I had Italian features. He said he was "surprised" when I told him I was an American, and that he and his friend represented Versace and some other designers, and they wanted me to model for them and would give me the clothes for free after the session. Immediately suspicious, I pried a little further and he admitted that he had "a few expenses" to cover, and that the clothes would be "nearly free". "Uh huh," I'm thinking to myself. "I haven't heard a load of caca this huge since O.J. said he'd spend all his time looking for Nicole's killers." I had visions of myself being thrown out of the backseat of a moving vehicle onto some deserted street, beaten to a pulp, my wallet and credit cards a thing of the past, not a thread bearing Versace's name anywhere in sight. I told them I was leaving the next day and didn't have the time. Merci, non.

Quick Tips:

The Musée National d'Art Moderne at Centre Georges Pompidou is the only major museum that is open daily until 9:00pm (closed Tuesdays). This museum is well worth seeing, and visiting in the evening around dinner proved to be a nice change of pace from the normal routine. I was able to see something else during the day, yet still take in a museum that was on my "to do" list. It was also pleasantly uncrowded in the evening.

Don't spend all your time museum hopping, however. You'll see many great things just walking around. There was more than one occassion that I stumbled across something worthwhile such as Les Deux Magots and Shakespeare Book Co. just by picking an arrondissement and walking around.

Best Way To Get Around:

One thing that didn't occur to me until I after I started moving around the city is that I often wasted several minutes regaining my bearings and sense of direction as I emerged from a metro stop. Finding street names, looking at my map, looking for more street names, looking at the map again, and so on. For short trips, if I took into account the time I spent walking to a metro stop, waiting a few minutes for a train, then spending a couple of minutes regaining my bearings after I exited the metro, I could have walked to my destination in about the same amount of time. I began to walk instead of take the metro if my destination was within three or four metro stops. My sense of direction stayed intact, and I enjoyed taking in more neighborhood sights, tastes and smells.

There was no closet in the room, just a small armoire to store clothes, a desk, chair, and bed. The bathroom had a sink, shower, and WC; no bathtub or bidet. The room had a television with CNN International and BBCWorld channels; good for those who like to keep tabs on world events, even while on vacation. And one night while looking over a map and a couple of guide books to plan my itinerary for the next day I was amused to catch a few minutes of "South Park" overdubbed in French. Now that's comedy.

The staff at the front desk was very friendly and helpful. Right after I checked in they told me where I could find an ATM nearby and also were able to recommend an internet cafe located just a couple of blocks away.

The Hotel Grand Francais is located in a great neighborhood. One thing you'll quickly notice here is that you are in the midst of Parisians, not tourists; I felt as if I was more a part of the neighborhood than a hotel guest. Boulevard Voltaire has wider sidewalks than many streets in Paris, making for pleasant walking. Within just a couple of blocks of the hotel there are plenty of restaurants, a pharmacy, laundromat, travel agency, internet cafe, ATM machines, and a Franprix (grocery store). The rue des Boulets metro stop that serves the number 9 line is only a block away, and the larger Nation metro stop that serves the number 1, 2, 6, and 9 lines and the RER is only a four or five minute walk. A sidewalk market and more restaurants can be found nearby at the Place de la Nation.

I paid 440Fr/night (about sixty bucks) for a single room, which is an incredible bargain for accommodations of this quality, even for offseason. With all of this going for it the Hotel Grand Francais is a great choice as long as you don't mind being a little further away from some of the major attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. It is close, however, to Le Cimetière Perè Lachaise and the Marais district. This hotel is an exceptional value.

You can reserve on the web at www.hotelboulevard.com or email them directly at grand-hotel-francais@wanadoo.fr. Their fax number is +33 01.43.48.40.05.

Arrondissement: 11
Metro: rue des Boulets (M9); Nation (M1, M2, M6, M9, RER)

We stumbled across this tiny little cafe after seeing the Musée National Picasso. We wound our way from the museum down rue du Parc Royal, rue Payenne, and rue des Francs Bourgeois past all of the shops to the Place des Vosges. Silvia, who has been to Paris many times but still doesn't know her way around, insisted that there was a restaurant somewhere in or near the square called Camille, but everyone we asked, even shopowners in the Place des Vosges, had never heard of it. All of us were starving. We finally gave up looking for Camille and, on the recommendation of an art gallery owner across the street (another detour precipitated by Susana), we settled on Café & Co, just off of the Place des Vosges at 9 rue de Birague.

As you walk into the this casual eaterie the bar, which seems to take up half the narrow little dining room, is directly in front of you, taking up almost the entire wall on the right. A single row of tables fill up the left wall. We were seated at a table for four behind the bar. There couldn't have be more than a dozen tables in the café, but the food was terrific. The staff was very friendly and patient with us. Silvia had disappeared again for some unknown reason and the rest of us had already ordered by the time she finally arrived and joined us at the table. We ordered a variety of soups, salads, and sandwiches, and either Heineken or wine to drink. I ordered a dried beef sandwich served open-faced that was topped with a homemade sandwich spread and parmesan cheese, and it was delicious. Susana's lobster bisque soup was outstanding, and I also tried the open-faced sandwich with proscuito and cheese that one of the others had ordered, which was every bit as good as mine.

We split the check evenly, which came to about $10 per person.

This quintessential little French café proved to be a very pleasant surprise. The food is wonderfully tasty, reasonably priced, and yet somehow unique. The open-faced sandwiches are not only delicious, they make for a beautiful presentation as well. Our server was very friendly and seemed to be having nearly as much fun as we were. If you are in this area of Le Marais to visit the Place des Vosges or perhaps the Maison de Victor Hugo, this is a great place to stop for lunch or even just a glass of wine. When I return to Paris, I will definitely make a point to pay another visit to this great little café.

My 1-10 ratings:
Food - 8; Service - 9; Atmosphere - 9

Arrondissement: 4
Metro: Bastille (M1, M5, M8); St.-Paul (M1); Chemin Vert (M8)

Our first full day in Paris began here, and Café du Marché quickly became our morning meeting spot. Since the hotel where my two friends Silvia and Susana were staying was just a block or two away, we decided that this would be a good place to meet for our morning coffee and croissants. I would take the No. 1 metro line to Concorde, change to the No. 8 line and ride to Ecole Militaire, and then make the short walk to rue Cler to meet my friends.

We also regrouped here one evening for a beer and an order of oysters prior to walking over to the Eiffel Tower. With an ice cold beer, tasty snacks, and a lively happy hour-type crowd, we ended up staying for dinner. My friends ordered salads and I had the rotisserie chicken, which was excellent.

With terrific coffee, reasonably priced food that is quite good, and a lively vibe throughout the day, this cafe can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They also have a good selection of wine by the glass, making it a good place to unwind and relax.

Café du Marché accepts Visa and MasterCard. Hours: Mon-Sat 7am-Midnight; Sun 7am-4:30pm

My 1-10 ratings:
Food - 8; Service - 7; Atmosphere - 7

Arrondissement: 7
Metro: Ecole Militaire (M8)

After a brisk walk through the cemetary in fading daylight, I headed out onto Boulevard de Ménilmontant. I almost headed down the metro steps, but the restaurant across the street caught my eye. It was getting dark, but at 5:45 or so it was still pretty early. I made a dash across the rush hour traffic to take a look at the menu posted adjacent to the door. With my limited French I was able to make out an entree that was clearly a grilled pork medallion with bernaise sauce and french fries, which actually sounded quite good at the time, so in I went, brimming with anticipation of my first meal in Paris.

After being seated and taking a closer look at the menu, I went ahead and ordered the pork medallion. It was grilled to perfection, exactly as I'd ordered it (medium rare). The fries were the most delicious I've ever had. I'm not sure what they do to them to make them taste so much better than they do here in the States. It must be something about the oil they're fried in. They were bright yellow, almost as if saffron was somewhere in the equation.

My dinner included bread and a small salad, the entree, creme brulée for dessert, a 1/4 carafe of wine, and tip, all for 100Fr (about $13). The service was cordial and efficient, but bring a French phrasebook with a menu decoder if you think you'll need it; very little English is spoken here. What an incredible bargain Brasserie du Perè Lachaise is. This was as good as any meal I had in France and was among the most reasonably priced as well.

When I return to Paris, this just might be the first restaurant I eat at again.

My 1-10 ratings:
Food - 9; Service - 8; Atmosphere - 6

Arrondissement: 11
Metro: Perè Lachaise (M2, M3)

My friend Silvia, who has been to Paris many times, selected La Rôtisserie du Beaujolais for our farewell dinner; I would be heading home early the following morning. It's her favorite restaurant in Paris. We arrived about fifteen minutes early for our 8pm reservation, and the restaurant was empty; we were the first table seated. But we weren't alone for long. It seemed as though the next time I looked up the dining room was full, not bad for a Tuesday evening.

Silvia and our other friend Susana started their meals off with salads, and I had the French onion soup, which was the best I've ever had. I'm not exactly sure what made it better; French onion soup isn't that complicated, after all. It just was.

For entrees, both of my friends ordered duck and I had the rotisserie chicken. Everything was excellent. Since they use free range chicken, it has a slightly gamier flavor than what we're used to here in the states. And of course the wine we selected was the house's private label Beaujolais. For dessert, we ordered the tarte tatin, which was terrific.

What's notable at La Rôtisserie du Beaujolais is that you are dining amongst Parisians. I'm quite certain that we were the only Americans in the dining room. This restaurant appears to draw an older crowd, probably all regular customers. Near the end of our meal we began chatting with the table next to ours (I think it started when they invited us to pay their bill as well as ours when l'addition arrived at our table). Two couples, one probably in their sixties, the other in their late seventies. All very nicely dressed, the men in suits and ties, the women in dresses. They were incredibly friendly; had both our parties been seated at the same time I almost felt as if we would have pushed our tables together and made an evening of it with them.

My 1 - 10 ratings:
Food - 8; Service - 8; Atmosphere - 8

Hours are: Tue - Sun 12pm - 2:30pm and 7:30pm - 11pm; Mon - Closed.

Arrondissement: 5
Metro: Maubert Mutualité (M10)

It's hard to believe that the main gallery once served a completely different purpose (rail passengers once embarked and disembarked here), because this is simply a beautiful space. Early 19th century art is now displayed on the main floor. The real action (impressionist and post-impressionist paintings) is on the upper level, but that's not to say there isn't anything worthwhile at ground level. I enjoyed finding works by Courbet, Millet (who was a great influence on Vincent van Gogh), and Delacroix here.

The top floor is where you'll find the impressionist and post-impressionist paintings, and the largest crowds. The d'Orsay possesses as fine a collection of impressionist and post-impressionist works as you will find anywhere. There are several rooms filled with canvases by Manet, Monet, Cezanne, Pissarro, Renior (including Dance at the Moulin de la Galette), and Degas. You'll also find several pieces by Alfred Sisley and Berthe Morisot, and a few by pointillist master Georges Seurat. And the van Gogh room is simply stunning. Besides Bedroom at Arles and two self-portraits, the room includes Thatched Cottages at Cordeville, Portrait of Dr. Gachet, and The Church at Auvers, which hang side by side. These are some of his most famous canvases. To see them all in one room is incredible.

Further down at the end of the pavillion you'll find a room filled with several beautiful pieces by Paul Gauguin, and next to him, the Pont-Aven school, including works by Emile Bernard. In the back corner is a room comprised of pastels and paintings by Toulouse-Lautrec.

I suppose I'm biased since I'm a huge fan of the impressionists and post-impressionists, but if you're sightseeing in Paris, the Musee d'Orsay deserves to be near the top of your list.

Photography without a flash is permitted. Check the Musée d'Orsay web site for admission fees, hours of operation, and other info.

Arrondissement: 7
Metro: Solférino (M12); Musée d'Orsay (RER-C)

The Hôtel Salé is a wonderful building. While the exterior and courtyard are fairly nondescript, the interior is highlighted by a beautiful staircase. There are also a few partially obscured stairwells, false dead ends, hidden corners and the like, so make sure you give every room a thorough look to avoid missing something. There are masterpieces from several periods, and a few of his most famous works are on display, such as Demoiselles d'Avignon and two portraits of Dora Maar from around 1937.

While I tend to prefer the large, exuberant canvases for which he is most famous, the museum displays an impressive variety of works. There are more than 200 paintings, about 190 sculptures, 85 ceramics pieces, and thousands of drawings, engravings, photographs, and manuscripts. You get the feeling that sometimes Picasso would create a work of art with whatever materials he had at his disposal in a creative moment. He would use anything and everything, such as sticks, wrought iron, pieces of wood, and so on.

My personal favorites were in a room on the first floor housing his private collection where canvases by Matisse and Modigliani were displayed side by side, and a room in the basement with two portraits of Dora Maar.

Although we were here early, shortly after the 9:30 Sunday morning opening time, the museum became fairly crowded just a short time later. Further proof in my mind that traveling in the offseason has its advantages. A huge crowd in a museum such as this could turn an enjoyable experience into a mediocre one.

The Musée National Picasso is accessible with a musee pass. Free admission the first Sunday of every month. Tele: +(33) 01.42.71.25.21. The hours are:
Oct - Mar: 9:30am - 5:30pm Wed - Mon (to 8pm Thu)
Apr - Sep: 9:30am - 6:00pm Wed - Mon (to 8pm Thu)
Closed Tuesdays and Jan 1

Arrondissement: 3
Metro: Saint Paul (M1); Chemin Vert (M8); Filles du Calvaire (M8)

The Musée de Montmartre is located in a rickety 17th century house that was once a small apartment building. The studios above the entrance pavilion were occupied at various times by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Emile Bernard, Raoul Dufy, Maurice Utrillo, Suzanne Valadon (Utrillo's mother), and others. This was Renoir's first Montmartre address. He began renting studio space here in 1875, and put the finishing touches on Au Moulin de la Galette here, which sold at auction in 1990 for $78 million.

The lower floors of the museum concentrate on the history of the butte, including the Revolution of 1789, the Russian invasions of 1814, the insurrection of 1848, and so on. Documents, maps, ceramic pieces, old photos, engravings, and other memorabilia retrace Montmartre's history. One part of the exhibit chronicles how the French government used manned balloons to get supplies in and messages out when the butte was under siege during the Franco-Prussian war in 1870, declaring that this was the first successful attempt at "air mail".

The upper floor explores the lives of the impressive list of Parisians who once lived at this address. While you'll find no paintings by some of the most famous artists who called 12 rue Cortot home at one time or another, there are works by Maurice Utrillo, Emile Bernard, and others. And while Bernard is not as well known as some of his counterparts, he was good friends with Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, so it's a safe bet that he entertained both of them here. Among the items on display specific to Bernard include a very nice self-portrait and a cabinet containing his palette and paint brushes. There are also several original Toulouse-Lautrec posters.

But the museum and its artifacts aside, for me it was just as rewarding an experience to see the building itself. To know that you're in the house where these artists lived and worked, and that the garden on the museum grounds is where Renoir painted some of his most famous canvases. This is a worthwhile stop for anyone who has an appreciation for the French impressionists.

Photography is not allowed inside the museum. You will be required to check your camera bag at the entrance.

Admission is 30Fr. Tele: (+33) 01.46.06.61.11.
Hours are:
Tue - Sun: 11 - 6; Mon: Closed
Also closed Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25.

Arrondissement: 18
Metro: Lamarck-Caulaincourt (M12); Abbesses (M12); Chateau-Rouge (M4)

If you have a weak stomach, you may want to walk swiftly past the boucheries, where various fowl with heads, feet, and/or feathers still in tact and the like may be cause for a bit of squeamishness for some.

Most vendors prefer to serve you, so don't pick up any fruit, vegetables, cheeses, or other items yourself. You can, however, point out your specific selections to the vendor.

You'll serve yourself well here if you take the time to learn a few key French phrases to help you communicate with the merchants. Everyone I encountered was very cordial and polite; they seemed to appreciate that I at least made the attempt to communicate with them in French. For someone such as myself who had never been in a French speaking country before and whose prior command of the French language consisted of picking up a few words from repeated listenings to Daniel Lanois CDs, I had great fun and achieved a completely over-inflated sense of self worth by being able to ask for things and make my purchases in French after learning a few simple phrases.

Hours are generally 8am-1pm and 4pm-7pm. Tuesday through Saturday, and 9am-1pm on Sunday. Many of the shops and stalls are closed on Mondays.

Arrondissement: 7
Metro: Ecole Militaire (M8)

As with the marché rue Cler, you'll get more out of the market experience if you learn a few key French phrases so you can communicate with the merchants. I was here late in the afternoon with dusk approaching, and took a advantage of the opportunity to buy some fresh fruit and a small sandwich to tide me over until dinner as I took a few photos in the fading daylight.

The oyster dealer in the first photo must be something of a local celebrity. While poking around on the web trying to find the exact street names that demarcate the perimeter of the market I found a photo of him on another website. His fifteen minutes of fame, I guess....

The marché rue de Buci is bordered by rue de Buci, Boulevard St. Germain, rue de Seine, and rue Bonaparte in the 6th arrondissement. The market is open daily Tuesday through Sunday.

Arrondissement: 6
Metro: Mabillon (M10); St. Germain des Prés (M4)

There are mostly gamers (teenage kids playing computer games) here. Everytime I stopped by there was alot of activity, but there were always plenty of PCs available (a casual count netted more than forty machines). Be prepared to tolerate alot of cigarette smoke. But given the European appetite for smoking, I doubt any other internet cafe will be any different in this regard.

The only other drawback is that all of the machines have French keyboards. To say that this was a maddeningly cumbersome discovery is an understatement. To give you an example, for those of us who've customarily used the U.S. style keyboard, the A and Q keys are switched, as are the W and Z keys; the M key is where our colon/semicolon key is found, and none of the punctuation keys are in the same place (try getting used to typing [Shift]+[Comma] to type a period character). But of all the internet cafes I was able to locate on the web prior to leaving for Paris, only one or two advertised that they had any machines with U.S. style keyboards. So unless you are lucky enough to be conveniently located to one of those, this is likely something you'll just have to deal with as I did. Also be aware that the internet browsers are French language, so the menu options and messages boxes are in French, although it's not hard to find your way around.

French keyboard aside, I still enjoyed coming to Armageddon to get on the web, read a few emails, take a quick glance at the weather forecast, and check on the status of my flight home. Just don't expect to compose that email of epic proportions.

Hours: Daily 11am-11pm
Tel: (+33) 01.40.09.05.21

Arrondissement: 11
Metro: rue des Boulets (M9); Alexandre Dumas (M2); Nation (M1, M2, M6, M9, RER)

I cross Boulevard de Ménilmontant after leaving the subway and walk up the steps of the cemetery entrance. The setting seems perfect: late afternoon on a crisp, sunny December day, the sun bright but low in the sky and starting to give way to a winter night. The pathways are a contrast of sun and shadow.

I know I don't have alot of time before darkness starts to set in, so I pick a few names from the long list on the maps posted near the entrance.

Jim Morrison's grave is easy to find. It's simply a matter of looking for the biggest group of people and following them. When I reach it, it occurs to me that I'm the only one in the small crowd who was even born before Morrison died in 1971. And as I'm standing there I realize how funny it is that you can vividly remember some of the most insignificant things. Like hearing Light My Fire over and over while camping in Wisconsin on a family vacation during the summer of my eighth year. And listening to Riders on the Storm on the radio while tinkering on my bike in the garage a couple of years later.... Later I realize that it's December 7, just one day prior to the thirtieth anniversary of his death.

After a search lasting several minutes, I finally find the grave of the Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani, one of my favorite artists. Modigliani first came to Paris in 1906, where he befriended poets and other artists, including Picasso. Two days after his death in 1920 from tubercular meningitis exacerbated by drug and alcohol abuse his fiance Jeanne Hebuterne, pregnant with their second child, threw herself off her parent's fifth floor balcony and died instantly.

Among a few others I find later on are the family crypts of impressionist painters Camille Pissarro and Georges Seurat.

Le Cimetière du Perè Lachaise is a contradiction. Both peaceful and foreboding, it's amazingly quiet considering the hustle and bustle of busy city streets is just yards away. Just when you think it's peaceful, a stray cat will dart across the path in front of you and make your heart jump. Just when you think it's foreboding, a soft rustle of leaves and a streak of sunshine make you think again.

The cemetery is open 8am - 5:30pm daily. Tele: (+33) 01.43.70.70.33.

Arrondissement: 11
Metro: Perè Lachaise (M2, M3); Alexandre Dumas (M2);

So with that as a backdrop, I am in Paris and heading for Montmartre on a sunny but cold December day with my two friends Silvia and Susana. On one hand I'm a tourist, wanting to see some of the usual tourist sights anyone who's in Paris for the first time wants to see, such as the Sacré-Coeur and the Place du Tertre. On the other hand I want to explore the butte where these artists lived. To walk the streets they walked, see the houses where they lived, the places where they hung out, and the scenes they painted. Wondering if seeing it today might help me imagine what Montmartre would've been like decades ago when they lived here.

We exit the Anvers metro stop and walk up the hill past the carousel, and make the obligatory stop at the Sacré-Coeur. After we spend a few minutes there, we walk toward the Place du Tertre and stop for crepes at a stand near the square. There are alot of people milling about, the artists hawking their wares, eyeing the crowd for their next customer, much as I suspect the pickpockets must be seeking out their next victim, only the latter using greater discretion.

Where rue des Salues meets rue Cortot we find Au Lapin Agile, which served as a favorite hangout for many writers and artists including Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, and Maurice Utrillo, who painted it numerous times. At that time it was known as the Cabaret des Assassins. It's alleged Picasso gained the inspiration here to paint Les Demoiselles d'Avignon in 1907, the first cubist painting. It looks tiny from the outside, but appears today much as it did in Utrillo's paintings.

Just down the street at 12 rue Cortot is the Musée de Montmartre, which was once an apartment building Renior, Utrillo, Emile Bernard, Suzanne Valadon, and others called home at various times. Many of Renoir's most famous portraits were painted in the garden on the grounds here. And Bernard was good friends with Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh, so it's safe to assume they visited him here.

Our next stop is Le Bateau-Lavoir (the laundry boat) at 13 rue Ravignan, in Place Emile-Goudeau, where Pablo Picasso had a studio from 1904-1912. This might have been the bohemian epicenter; many other artists also lived here from time to time, including Renoir, Juan Gris, Amedeo Modigliani, and Max Jacob. Although the original building was destroyed by a fire in 1970, it was rebuilt several years later. Today, the storefront window is filled with old photographs and documents. There also used to be a shabby hotel nearby, said to be the preferred bohemian lodging for poets and writers.

After leaving Place Emile-Goudeau, we find our way to rue Lepic. At 75 rue Lepic is the Moulin de la Galette, which was immortalized by Pierre-Auguste Renior's 1876 painting. Renior, Toulouse-Lautrec, and van Gogh once frequented the dance hall here, where one of the last two windmills in Montmartre stands today.

Continuing down the long hill on rue Lepic, the street curves to the south near number 54, the building where Vincent van Gogh shared a third floor flat with his brother Theo between March 1886 and February 1888. Unable to afford to pay models to sit for him, van Gogh painted all twenty-four of his self portraits while living in Paris. Today, 54 rue Lepic is quite run down; it's a drab, tired looking building with peeling white paint. The only distinguishing feature is a plaque next to the front door indicating it's the former residence of Vincent and Theo. These days there's a tiny auto repair shop directly across the street.

We follow rue Lepic around the curve and down the hill, where it meets Boulevard de Clichy. Just around the corner at 82 Boulevard de Clichy is the Moulin Rouge. Yes, a movie was made about it, but this night club, synonymous with the can-can, was famous long before that. Jane Avril and Yvette Guilbert were among the dancers to perform here. The Moulin Rouge was also immortalized in the drawings, posters, and paintings of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Frank Sinatra, Ginger Rogers, and Bing Crosby head a long list of other entertainers who have performed here. Today, Las Vegas-style stage shows rule the day.

Near the Place des Abbesses and the Abbesses Métro station (one of two remaining turn of the century art nouveau stations designed by Hector Guimard) is rue André Antoine. Descending the steps of rue André Antoine next to St-Jean l'Evangéliste, we locate number 39, the house where Georges Seurat moved in 1890 and died suddenly from diphtheria in 1891. Seurat's pointillist masterpiece A Sunday on La Grande Jatte—1884 was one of the most controversial paintings of the 19th century. Like van Gogh's apartment building on rue Lepic, today this building is in a state of disrepair.

Present day Montmartre is a mix of old and new, good and bad. Vendors hawking souvenirs hassle you on the terrace below the Sacré-Coeur. The lopsided square at Place Emile-Goudeau, with it's fountain, benches, and thick canopy of chestnut trees provides a pleasant setting. What once must have been a quaint village square, Place du Tertre is now not much more than a mecca for tourists, brimming with commercialism. And for every well maintained historic building such as the Moulin de la Galette and Au Lapin Agile, there's a run down apartment building like 54 rue Lepic with a satellite dish on the roof. Nevertheless, I'm glad I saw this place and walked these streets.

* * *

After returning from Paris I learned there were plenty of things I missed. Toulouse-Lautrec's studio. The building that served as the studio for Fernand Cormon, whose school drew van Gogh to Paris and whose students included Toulouse-Lautrec and Emile Bernard. And a building that once was the site of an Italian cafe called Le Tambourin, where van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec and Bernard once showed their work. I guess this means I'll just have to return to Montmartre and explore again. Only next time I can skip the Place du Tertre.

Five minutes ago I was warm, comfortable, and happy, sitting in Café du Marche with my two friends Silvia and Susana. We'd met for a drink and decided to stay there and have dinner. But as we are eating they convince me that I need to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night. Tonight. Right now. "You have to see the city at night," they both tell me. Both of them have been to Paris numerous times and have gone to the top before. I mention that I generally don't like heights, but I reassure them, downplaying it as not being a very big deal. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" they both ask. "Yeah, sure," I shrug. So we pay l'addition and off we go into the cold December night.

It's clear but very chilly as we are making the short walk from rue Cler to the Eiffel. Silvia tells me that her daughter used to have a fear of cemeteries. Whenever they would drive by one, she would literally hold her breath the entire time until they had passed it. "Yeah, but no one ever fell to their death riding past a cemetery," was my retort, trying to justify and one-up my own fear over her daughter's.

Then Silvia proceeds to tell me that on another trip to Paris, her daughter disappeared for two or three hours. Silvia was nearly frantic. When her daughter finally returned and Silvia asked her where she'd been, she said she had gone to a cemetery and spent the entire time there, and that she wasn't afraid of them anymore. Great. So Silvia's daughter overcame her fear of cemeteries right here. In Paris.

We walk right up to the ticket window. There's no one in line. After all, what other moron would want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at nine o'clock on a freezing cold night like this? I guess there must be at least a couple, because I buy my ticket and as we head to the elevator I see that we're not completely alone. There are a handful of other morons. Since Silvia and Susana have already been to the top, they are going to have a drink at Altitude 95, the restaurant on the first floor, and wait for me while I make my pilgrimage to the top.

Right away I can tell that I don't like the elevator. Susana told me to work my way to the front so I'll get a good view. What I forgot to tell her is that I don't necessarily want a view. Since it rises at an angle rather than straight up and down, the elevator gives me a really weird sensation. I look out at all the steel beams and structure of the tower as the city slowly starts to reveal itself in front of me. I'm okay so far. We get to the first floor and Silvia and Susana walk off and head for the bar.

Once you reach the second level you have to change elevators and take one that goes straight to the top. This elevator I don't like at all. Now we're moving and I can see below me in all four directions. I remember that I don't like moving and being able to see below me in all four directions. I have something between a casual lean and a Vulcan death grip on the rail. The ride is taking forever. I look up a few times, but it always looks like there are still hundreds of feet to go. It seems as though minutes are slowly ticking by. It can't end soon enough.

Finally, mercifully, we reach the top. I'm fine now. I'm on firm footing, and I see nothing at my feet but solid tower. The view is spectacular. But it's absolutely freezing out. And when I walk around to one side the wind is just howling in my face. I manage to take a few pictures, trying to hold the camera steady against something solid, but I'm pretty sure they won't turn out. Another tourist asks me to take his picture for him, and I oblige. I'm cold. It's beautiful up here, but after a few minutes I'm ready to head back down. But not ready for that elevator.

The long ride to the second level is finally over, and after changing elevators one last time and reaching the first floor I walk into Altitude 95 and find Silvia and Susana in a booth. We are talking and laughing about my adventure, and they are very apologetic, but I would have gone up sooner or later even if they hadn't prodded me. I took the tower's best punch, and I survived. I'm just not sure if I ever need to do it again.

* * *

La Tour Eiffel is located at Champs de Mars. Tel.:(+33) 01.44.11.23.23. The official Eiffel Tower web site has hours of operation, entrance fees, and other information. You can check it out here.

Arrondissement: 7
Metro: Bir Hakeim (M6); Trocadéro (M6,M9); Ecole Militaire (M8)