The Adventures of Flat Linda: 2010

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Flat Linda Wraps It Up

Flat Linda's Paris adventure is coming to a close. She has had a great time experiencing fall in this amazing city.

Along the Seine

The historic Hôtel de Ville

The Pompidou Center

Works from the National Museum of Modern Art at the Pompidou

Sunday market north of Place de la Bastille

Chateau de Vincennes

A local character expressing his opinion of the neighborhood poodles

Musée d'Orsay

Tuileries

Flat Linda wrapped up her last day in Paris with a little more shopping.

Then, since she was down to her last euros, she stopped at the popular falafel stand around the corner for dinner.

Now all that remains is to cram all those souvenirs into her suitcase and make her way to the airport tomorrow. She's trying not to think of the almost 12 hours she will be spending on planes. Maybe she'll use use that time to start planning her next adventure. Greece? Spain? Botswana? Who knows where she will go next!

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Why Flat Linda is Exhausted

Flat Linda has been earning her pastry calories as she conquers the sights of Paris.

She spent an afternoon exploring the Montmartre area on a two hour walking tour with Paris Walks. She began at the Abbesses metro stop with its Art Nouveau entryway.

The tour gradually wound up the steep hill with the tour guide pointing out many interesting sights along the way.

More than 30 windmills once ground wheat and pressed grapes on Montmartre. Only two remain.

This sculpture is in honor of Marcel Aymé's famous short story, Le Passe-Muraille or The Walker-Through-Walls.

At the top of the hill: Sacre-Coeur

Looking out over Paris

At the bottom of the hill. Note the three guys in the bottom middle of the page. They were running laps up and down these stairs.

What else has Flat Linda seen?

Antoine Lavoisier's lab at the Musée des Arts et Métiers

Opera Garnier - elements of this opera house inspired The Phantom of the Opera

She didn't get to see the underground lake but did see the auditorium ceiling which was painted by Marc Chagall.

Arc de Triomphe

Champs-Élysées - more touristy than sophisticated these days

Delicious chocolate macaron from the famous Ladurée pastry shop on the Champs-Élysées

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Cruisin' with Flat Linda

Flat Linda decided to brave the winds again on a one hour boat tour of the Seine. The tour started near Notre Dame, cruised down to the Eiffel Tower, and circled back.

Flat Linda found the views both beautiful...

and entertaining as she saw a scuba diver emerge from the river, only to be hauled into a police boat.

What else has Flat Linda been up to? Take a look.

Flat Linda is glad that her apartment building has an elevator that is just her size...

so she doesn't have to climb the winding stairs like her claustrophobic friends do.

Flat Linda visited the Louvre

and explored the Tuileries, where she chatted up the ducks.

Mmmm - chocolate. Thanks for the recommendation Laura H.!

Beautiful Paris afternoon

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Flat Linda at the Summit

Flat Linda had one of her most exciting adventures yet when she went to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Given her waifish physique, Flat Linda had to ride in her companion's purse and just peek out lest the winds send her floating off over the lights of Paris. Miraculously, her beret stayed in place the whole time. She reports that Paris at night is indeed beautiful.

Her official photographer preferred to remain on the second level of the tower, at about 400', versus 899' for Le Sommet. Thus there are no photos from the top or of Flat Linda's seriously windblown hair.