The EIFFEL TOWER, as seen from many different Paris neighborhoods, constitutes the official kick off to a whole lot of Paris infused blog posts (even if it is actually the third of such blog posts – I’ll just call those first two “Paris teaser posts”).

The first two views of the Eiffel Tower will be teasers too.  As seen from the balcony of our guest apartment in the 10th arrondissement:

And at night…

And for musical accompaniment, I will include music and lyrics of two of my favorite songs with Paris in the title.  The first, as sung by the divine Ella Fitzgerald:

I Love Paris – Cole Porter

Place de la Concorde

Jardin du Luxembourg

I love Paris in the springtime
I love Paris in the fall

Jardin des Touleries

I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles

Along the Seine, with a copy of Lady Liberty (West Side)

I love Paris every moment

Every moment of the year

The Seine, further East, near Notre Dame

Every moment of the year

The Russian Church, as seen from the Seine, with the Eiffel Tower

I love Paris
Why, oh, why do I love Paris?

Because my love is near

Up high in the cathedral of  Montmartre

My love was near in Paris.

And Ed often heard me gaily sing this Sondheim bon bon from Follies

(well, I was able to reconstruct the second chorus from memory at least):

Ah, Paris!  – Stephen Sondheim

More views of the Eiffel Tower from Montmartre

New York has neon, Berlin has bars,
But ah! Paree!

Shanghai has silk and Madrid guitars.
But ah! Paree! 

In Cairo you find bizarre bazaars.
In London “pip! pip!” you sip tea.

But when it comes to love.
None of the above
Compares, compris?

So if it’s making love
That you’re thinking of,
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah! Paree!

Our host liked to take us on car rides through Paris at night, which is how these next two shots were taken.  He didn’t slow down the car though, so it wasn’t easy….

I have seen the ruins of Rome,
I’ve been in the igloos of Nome.
I have gone to Moscow. It’s very gay–
Well, anyway.
On the first of May.

I have seen Rangoon and Soho,
And I like them more than so-so.
But when there’s a moon.
Goodbye, Rangoon–
Hello, Montmartre, hello!

These next shots are from atop the Pompidou museum.

Peking has rickshaws, New Orleans jazz.
But ah! Paree!

Beirut has sunshine — that’s all it has,
But ah! Paree!

Constantinople has Turkish baths
And Athens that lovely debris.

Carlsbad may have a spa.
But for ooh-la-la,
You come with me!

Carlsbad is where you’re cured
After you have toured
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah! Paree!

(Turns out I hadn’t perfectly reconstructed from memory that final chorus I kept singing lustily on the streets of Paris.  I thought Peking had riches, not rickshaws.  Oops.)

Finally the traditional approach towards the tower along the Champs du Mars, once site of the 1889 World’s Fair that instigated the building of the Eiffel Tower.

Peace

We will get much closer, and see the world from the tower’s high vantage in a separate post