May 26, 2018
False Starts and Great Explorations
Thursday was a tourist day, with a trip to the Eiffel Tower and the Musée du Quai Branley Jacques Chirac. A warm sunny day, I made my way up to Champs de Mars and the Eiffel Tower on foot. I had originally thought to try the new Velib bikes, but had trouble getting things to work. Apparently I am not alone as the introduction of the new Velib bike sharing system has been a fiasco, the French press having dubbed it Velibgate. Hopefully, things are sorted out soon, as the Velib was my favorite way to get around Paris.
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Over the years, I have visited the Eiffel tower perhaps a dozen times. The most memorable visit was in 1992, during my first trip to France. The occasion was Bastille Day, and the spectacle included a musical celebration of the founding countries of the European Union, which was formally established by the Maastricht Treaty the following year.
During my 2015 sabbatical, a trip to the Eiffel tower by Velib was part of my standard "Paris tour" offered to visitors - and it was invariably one of the highlights of their Paris experience. The tour often included a picnic lunch on the Champs de Mars and a stroll up and under the majestic Iron Lady.
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On returning to Paris last fall, one of the most notable changes following the November, 2015 terrorist attacks was at the Eiffel Tower. It was no longer possible to walk unimpeded from one side of the tower to the other. Rather, the entire perimeter was/is barricaded, with two controlled access points along the east-west axis. Under construction is a 2.5 meter high bullet-proof glass wall that is designed to enhance security while maintaining the historic view from the Trocadero to the École Militaire. Although entrance is still free, visitors must endure potentially long lines to get through security.
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As the line was fairly short on Thursday, I decided to go ahead and walk around under the tower itself . Unfortunately, and for some unknown reason, I had placed my multi-tool in my purse. After some consultation among the security guards, it was decided "Ne passe pas, je suis désolé". Sorry, entry denied. I found solace in an ice cream cone while sitting on the banks of the Seine.
After my ice cream, I walked over to the Musée du Quai Branley Jacques Chirac, one of the newer museums in Paris. The museum displays over 3,500 works of indigenous art and culture from Oceania, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Established in 2006, the museum combined the works of two existing museums, each with a distinct emphasis and perspective. The National Museum of the Arts of Africa and Oceania was an art museum emphasizing indigenous art whereas the Museum of Man was focused on the social-cultural contexts and the uses of objects in their collection. The current museum weds these two perspective in both the museum exhibits and ongoing research. The museum space is interesting, open yet dark, with an emphasis on the pieces themselves rather than detailed historical context or explanation. Although more explanation may have been useful, I found that the works alone revealed the artistry of indigenous cultures, with common, yet distinct, features shared across the four global regions.
A special exhibit entitled "The little explorer's box of delights" presented how exploration of foreign worlds was conveyed to children, often through tales and adventures of children themselves. As a newbie chronicler of my own upcoming adventure, I took delight and inspiration in revisiting the tales of Jules Verne, Phileas Fogg, as well as discovering the exotic adventures of the Paris lad. All in all, a delightful day of exploring in Paris.
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