A few early disclaimers to begin with. So, this has been promoted as a photoblog, and as I’m certainly not one that likes false advertising, I’m hoping to follow through with that very soon. But as this post will reveal, there’s a reason to this madness – and if that’s still not good enough for you, head over to http://www.flickr.com/photos/elizabethdherman, where I’ve uploaded a few thus far. Bookmark it, RSS it, compulsively click the refresh button – whatever you may desire, and I’ll do my best to satiate your internet hungers.

This has been a week of adjustments, not only to Parisian ways, but also to having a bit of free time plopped in my hands. Faced with an afternoon to myself – when does that ever happen, nevermind in Paris?! – I decided to walk all the way down from the ACCENT center where classes are held (near the Bastille), back to my dorm at the Cité U, down in the 14e arrondissement. Mapping my route out to the best of my abilities on GoogleMaps, it looks like it turned out to be about 6.5 miles, what with all my twisty turns and indirect strolls; it was a two and a half journey that took me across Ile. Saint-Louis, down boulevard Saint-Michel, through le Jardin du Luxembourg, beyond Denfert-Rochereau, and led me to discover le Parc Montsouris, a beautiful little treasure right across from la Cité. See the map for deets.

Though the D80 was in my bag (which reminds me, I still need a name for that one – suggestions?), I decided to leave it there during the hike. The earbuds also ended up packed away within the first ten minutes as well. Though not having to zip and unzip my bag was an added plus, it was more the ‘I need to feel this right now and not try to take a zillion pictures to attempt to capture it’ that won me over. Laura and I had had our day rollicking around taking photos in and around the parks of the 1e arr, but this time seemed more like a chance to blend into the fabric of the city and see how it worked and sounded and ate and moved. The camera, while I love seeing new places through its eyes, is, as you might guess, a hinderance at times. But! Have no fear, I’ll try not to let myself be deterred. Blindshooting is still one of my favorite past times, and aren’t sidewalk cafés just calling out to that?

For now, it’s off to bed for this one, while keeping one eye open in hopes of another lightning show like the one a couple hours ago saw. Stay tuned, folks, and thanks for checking in!

Bisous, or as they say here –
Biz

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