I thought this was pretty funny- Someone decided to use one of my Paris Photos [with credit, thankyou] as a background for their Paris clothing style thing. Actually I’m not quite sure really what it is, but it’s pretty amusing.

Location: The Eiffel Tower - Paris, France // Google Maps
See the Fine Art Photo Gallery / See The Rest of the Eiffel Tower Photo Gallery

Since for some reason I haven’t finished posting all my France images, here is my Eiffel Tower photo collection. I love the tower, and have fond memories of walking around Paris and using the tower as a guide to what direction I was headed. I still haven’t been to the top of it though.

via wikipedia.org;
The Eiffel Tower is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris, France. It is one of the tallest structures in Paris and possibly one of the most recognized monuments in the world. Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, it is the most visited monument in the world; 6,428,441 people visited the tower in 2005 and more than 200,000,000 since its construction. Including the 24 m (78.7 ft) antenna, the structure is 324 m (1,063 ft) high (since 2000), which is equivalent to about 81 levels in a conventional building. In 1902, it was struck by lightning, which meant that 100 metres of the top had to be reconstructed and the lights illuminating the tower had to be replaced, as they were damaged by the high energy of the lightning.

Location: The Seine River, Paris, France // Google Maps
See the Stock Photo Gallery / See The Rest of The Seine River Photos

Since we started our trip in Paris, then took a train to Rouen, then drove out to Le Havre [the mouth of the Seine], we felt like the river was always around us, or at least we saw a lot of it. In Paris however it’s such a part of the landscape, and sitting down by the banks at night gives you a real nice peaceful feeling [while all the trash floats by]. I was pretty pleased with the images I collected of the river from my trip,

via wikipedia.org;
The Seine (pronounced /sɛn/ in French) is a major river of north-western France, and one of its commercial waterways. It is also a tourist attraction, particularly within the city of Paris

The average depth of the Seine today at Paris is about eight metres. Until locks were installed to artificially raise the level in the 1800s, however, the river was much shallower within the city most of the time, and consisted only of a small channel of continuous flow bordered by sandy banks (visible in many illustrations of the period). Today depth is tightly controlled and the entire width of the river between the built-up banks on either side is normally filled with water. The average flow of the river is very low, only a few cubic metres per second, but much higher flows are possible during periods of heavy runoff. Special reservoirs upstream help to maintain a constant level for the river through the city, but during periods of extreme runoff significant increases in river level may occur. A very severe period of high water in January 1910 produced extensive flooding throughout the city.

Until the 1930s, a towing system using a chain on the bed of the river existed to facilitate movement of barges upriver.

Location: The Marais, Paris, France // Google Maps
See the Gallery / See The Rest of the Series

Still posting Paris photos up! Here are some of my favorite photos from within Paris- The Marais which is in the 3rd and 4th districts along the Seine. It’s been my favorite area of Paris for awhile now and I try to stay here every time I go to Paris simply because it’s a nice quiet old place without the hustle and bustle of some of the other areas. All the hotels around the Marais are so much fun and still within walking distance of the majority of the sights.

HOTELS WE STAYED AT:
Hotel de Marais - 2 bis, rue Commines, Paris 75003 [pretty bad]
Hôtel Jeanne d’Arc - 3, rue de Jarente 75004 Paris [pretty awesome]

All photos are available as royalty-free stock photos or fine-art prints.
Please click on the images for more information

via wikipedia.org;
Le Marais (meaning “the marsh� in French) is a district in Paris, France, traditionally a bourgeois area, but also well-known as a Jewish neighbourhood and for its gay nightlife. It spreads across parts of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements in Paris (on the Rive Droite, or Right Bank, of the Seine).

In the 12th century, the Knights Templar cleared the marshlands to the north of Philippe Auguste’s enclosure. From the 16th century onwards, the aristocracy built large residences in the area, a trend which was accelerated by the creation of the Place Royale (which would become the Place des Vosges) by Henri IV in 1605.

The departure of the royal court to Versailles led to a decline in the district. Haussmann’s urban redevelopment only marginally affected the Marais through new alignment rules and constructions, lending irregular width to many of the neighbourhood’s streets.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century and in the first half of the twentieth century, the area surrounding the Rue des Rosiers became home to many Jews from Eastern Europe, further specializing local labour in the clothing industry. The Marais was therefore a target for the Nazis when they controlled the city.

In 1969, André Malraux made the Marais the first protected sector (secteur sauvegardé), with the area being home to many museums, art galleries and historic sites. As with other parts of Paris, where shops are sold but their front not entirely redone when changing business, this protection measure can lead to certain comical results, such as a shop with a “bakery” front selling shoes.

In 1971 Jim Morrison died in 17 Rue Beautrellis in the Marais.

Location: Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France // Google Maps
iTravelStockPhoto.com / See The Rest of the Series

Here are some more photos from Paris, specifically from the Pere Lachaise Cemetery over in the 20th arrondissement. For those not in the know, its a famous place for famous dead people- so the rich people buy plots of land there to die in, and then have an amazing castle style monument so people can remember how rich they were. Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and a bunch of others all hang out in what’s called the most famous cemetery in the world!

All photos are available as royalty-free stock photos or fine-art prints.
Please click on the images for more information

via wikipedia.org;
Père Lachaise Cemetery (French: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise) (officially, cimetière de l’Est “eastern cemeteryâ€?) is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, France at 118 acres, though there are larger cemeteries in Paris suburbs.

Père Lachaise is one of the most famous in the world. Located in the 20e arrondissement, it is reputed to be the world’s most-visited cemetery, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the graves of those who have enhanced French life over the past 200 years. It is also the site of five Great War memorials.

Père Lachaise is located on Boulevard de Ménilmontant. For tourists, the best Paris Métro station is Philippe Auguste on line 2 which is convenient for the main entrance. The station called Père Lachaise, on lines 2 or 3, is 500 metres away from the main entrance.

I don’t think I ever followed up with my little ‘British Airways’ lost luggage fiasco- for those coming late to the party, I took a trip over to France over Christmas and didn’t see my luggage back for another 21 days. This meant that both I and my girlfriend had to buy a bunch of clothes both in Paris and then back in LA [mildly different climates]. We got money for the clothes in France, but not for the ones we bought in LA because they deemed we had clothes when we got back [unfortunately we took all our clothes with us]. So we decided to write a letter to British Airways about how getting around a foreign country sans clothes and all the goodies you pack isn’t very fun and we wanted another ticket back. I called BA complaint hotline, never heard back. I sent letter two weeks ago, I’ve heard nothing back. I’m planning on Fedexing a letter again in two weeks, but this time not just to Brit. Air, but to the Department of Transportation and the Aviation Consumer Action Project, and maybe the BBB. This sounds like fun, no?

I thought I’d share with everyone some of the info I’m finding, this article is one of the better ones I found.

Author: Jawahn Thompson
It seems that the service you get on an airline truly isn’t what it used to be, and most air travelers have learned to adjust. But what should you do if you’re met with rude airline employees or unacceptable amenities on the plane?

Imagine it’s your first time ever in first class on an airplane. You’ve used a combination of frequent flyer miles from your spouse’s business travels and points earned through a rewards program with your credit card to book the two of you on a nonstop flight to a romantic destination for the weekend. You’re excited about your first time in first class – having enough room to be comfortable and getting the extra perks that come along with the prestigious seating.

read all »

Location: Mont Dol, France // Google Maps
See the Gallery / See The Rest of the Series

I wanted a nice remote place to stay on our France trip, and remote is what I got. Mont Dol turned out to be a real treat, but frankly I had no idea where my hotel was going into the trip. Googlemaps and any of the other online mapping programs don’t have Mont Dol’s street maps, so you’re going into staying there a little blindly. With this said, there’s only one main drag going through the town [which is on the side of the mountain]. I had a blast there, and is worth checking out if you’re looking for a town near Mont st Michael.

All photos are available as royalty-free stock photos or fine-art prints.
Please click on the images for more information

via official brittany tourism site;
Travelling along the bay from Viviers sur Mer and Cherrueix you will see Mont Dol towering on the inland side as Mont Saint Michel stands out in the distance on the sea side. To reach this spectacular village means going slightly inland. The village is at the foot of the Mont Dol which was historically the site of a battle between the Devil and Saint Michael. It is worth driving up to the summit as the views are spectacular. You will also be rewarded by seeing the Capelle Notre-Dame de lEsperance, la Tour Notre-Dame, pictured right and and an old mill. There is also le rocher des griffes du Diable which means the rock formation which it is said was made by the Devils claw mark during his fight with St Michael. It is possible to climb to the top of La Tour Notre-Dame and enjoy the views of the bay and far off Mont Saint Michel.

Location: Amelie Cafe, Les Deux Moulins - Montmartre Paris, France // Google Maps
See the Gallery / See The Rest of the Series

One of my favorite movies of all time is ‘Amelie’ so whenever I go to Paris, it’s on my to-do list. I think since the last time I was there [2002] things have died down on the tourist front, but it was a nice treat to go see again.

All photos are available as royalty-free stock photos or fine-art prints.
Please click on the images for more information

via wikipedia.org;
Le Fabuleux Destin d Amelie Poulain (The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain), is a 2001 French romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and starring Audrey Tautou. Written by Guillaume Laurant, the film is a whimsical and somewhat idealised depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre. The Two Windmills (French, Les Deux Moulins) is a cafe in the Montmartre area of Paris. It takes its name from the two nearby historical windmills, Moulin Rouge and Moulin de la Galette. The interior consists of a bar area and multiple small tables at which one might sit and enjoy a piping hot espresso. Since it was featured as the workplace of Amelie, tourists and fans have inundated the premises.

Location: Dinan, France // Google Maps
See the Gallery / See The Rest of the Series

Some of my favorite photos from the France trip were bright and early in the little walled town of Dinan, in Brittany France. It was horribly cold, about 6 in the morning and we were on our way to Rennes to catch a train back to Paris when we stopped to take a few photos. Have a look at the rest of the series!

via wikipedia.org;
Dinan is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-d’Armor département, France. It is one of France’s most attractive walled towns. Its geographical setting is quite exceptional. Instead of nestling on the valley floor like Morlaix, most urban development has been on the hillside, overlooking the river Rance.

All photos are available as royalty-free stock photos or fine-art prints.

Location: Honfleur, France // Googlemaps
See the Gallery / See The Rest of the Series

Next up is some photos from the old town of Honfleur! I just got finished editing the couple hundred or so photos and hopefully you can see it’s old grandeur in it’s images. Honfleur looks and feels old, but not in the ‘constructed for tourism’ way [though, since the point du normandy bridge was constructed, they haven’t exactly shied away from taking in the tourist dollar]. Enjoy!

via wikipedia.org;
Located on the estuary of one of the principal rivers of France with a safe harbor and relatively rich hinterland, Honfleur profited from its strategic position from the start of the Hundred Years War. The towns defenses were strengthened by Charles V strengthened the town in order to protect the estuary of the Seine from attacks from the English.

Location: Honfleur, France // Googlemaps
See the Gallery / Honfleur

I’m finally getting around to posting some of these photos I took on the France Roadtrip 2006 back in December. Editing them takes forever, so I’m going to release a gallery here and there, hopefully I’ll have them all done soon. In the meantime, here’s some good stuff on Honfleur, a nice quaint fishing village on the Normandy coast at the mouth of the Seine. More photos of the town coming up next.

via wikipedia.org;

Honfleur is a harbour commune in the Norman département of Calvados, in France, located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine, very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie. It is especially known for its old, beautiful picturesque port, characterized by its houses with slate-covered frontages, painted many times by artists, including in particular Gustave Courbet, Claude Monet and Johan Jongkind, forming the école de Honfleur which contributed to the appearance of the Impressionist movement . The Sainte-Catherine church, which has a bell-tower separate from the principal building, is the largest church made out of wood of France.

Well, after much amusement, I had the final of 3 bags arrive from it’s 22 day journey around London Airport [and possibly Italy if the rumors are true] and only missing one glove! I’m very interested in seeing what my compensation will be from British Airways as 21 days is their ‘cut-off’ in terms of when a bag is considered lost. Once I get my paperwork over from Citibank I’ll have to see whether I can still file a claim with them as well- I shall keep everyone posted!

After 17 days, we finally got Tanya’s bag back [#2/3] from it’s little adventure around the London airport with the 28,000 other bags. I was a little bummed. However, bag number three which was supposed to be my carry-on that had to be checked is still MIA! What this means is, we are currently on day 19. On day number 21, it is officially considered LOST. This is when I wake up extra early to a] write to british airways again and make a lost luggage claim with them. This could be for $1,350. then b] right after that I call Citibank and place a claim with them for the $3000 per bag insurance. Two days to go, thats all I need- Poor British Airways, they’re really not helping their ‘always lose luggage’ claims from all the blogs I’ve been reading from people in the same boat as me.

RIP 2001-2007
Small green backpack with nice Ireland patch on it, we’ve been through some great trips together. Now you’re going to have a horrible hell pit death / nice home if someone rich kid stole you.

and this is why you shouldn’t fly British Air in the future…courtesy of the Daily Mail in the UK [my three bags were a part of this group]. Read and weep.

As thousands of passengers continue to be affected by the great lost luggage crisis, British Airways makes money from their misery. It is forcing them to use a premium-rate helpline to seek their missing bags, and pocketing the profits.

At the same time it is accused of doing little to tackle the luggage mountain at Heathrow, now believed to comprise 15,000 items, when simple checks would have seen them returned to their owners long ago. For while the airline has not yet been able to find out who owns the mountain of suitcases left at Terminals One and Four, the Daily Mail was able to track some down in a matter of minutes.

At the same time there are persistent rumours - which the airline vehemently denies - that it is preparingto destroy all the lost luggage because paying out insurance claims would be quicker and cheaper. After a calamitous 2006, which culminated in the pre-Christmas fog crisis at Heathrow leading to hundreds of cancelled flights, BA had been hoping to make a fresh start this year. But things have gone from bad to worse.

The beleaguered airline last night admitted it has a backlog of 7,500 lost bags. This is estimated to be only half of the total number of lost luggage as other airlines - including British Midland - have been affected. However, BA is being blamed for the bulk of the chaos because it, rather than the airports authority BAA, handles the baggage for many of the airlines using the terminals. Many passengers have not seen their possessions since mid-December following the chaos sparked by heavy fog and faulty baggage equipment. They are urged to use the Internet to track lost bags, but many claim the official website is useless - and are phoning an 0845 number given by the airline for those seeking information.

BA gets up to half of the 3p-a-minute cost of calls to the number, and some desperate callers say they have been on the phone for up to ten fruitless hours, trying and failing to recover bags which in many cases are filled with long-overdue Christmas presents.

The International Airline Passengers’ Association, which has some 400,000 members worldwide, accused BA of cashing in. Spokesman Jonathan French said: ‘BA seems to be making the most of this baggage situation rather than simply helping its customers. It could just as easily set up an 0800 freephone number for this kind of eventuality.

‘Free calls wouldn’t remove the pain of losing your possessions, but would at least take away the cost of trying to find out where they are.’ BA admitted it did make money from calls to its baggage number, but insisted the charges were necessary to offset the cost of running a call centre in Newcastle. Because the piles of bags have not been securely guarded, passengers fear many could have been stolen - and because terrorists could conceivably have interfered with some, those going back in the air will have to go through security checks again before being loaded, leading to further delays.

The airline has blamed the Christmas fog and a series of computer glitches for creating the baggage problems. But industry insiders say simmering anger among the baggage handlers has led to ‘unofficial’ walk-outs which have exacerbated the problem.

One source said: ‘BA baggage handlers have been walking out for three weeks. It’s not official but it’s happening. BA are in complete denial about it.’ BA denied that it was subject to any unofficial action by its 2,000 baggage handlers - but it did concede that it was in the middle of changing working practices at Heathrow’s Terminals 1 and 4 in readiness for the airline’s switch to the new Terminal 5. A spokesman said: ‘The problem began before Christmas when there was a fault with a baggage belt at Heathrow Terminal 4. That caused the initial backlog, and about 8,000 bags were not delivered. ‘Then the fog at Heathrow caused further problems, and there was another Terminal 4 baggage belt problem on December 29 leading to about 10,000 bags not being delivered. We have put on freighter planes to get the bags to their owners and have drafted in a number of volunteers to help.’

BA has claimed the problem will be resolved by the end of the week, but those waiting for their baggage since mid-December are among those refusing to believe it.

The airline has been given extra incentive to solve the problem by the reaction of some enraged customers in Nigeria who have been waiting for their bags for two weeks - with some making death threats and talking of kidnapping BA staff at Lagos airport.

Apart from the Christmas fog chaos, BA’s 2006 misery was compounded by the summer terror scare which caused disruption to almost 100,000 passengers and cost the airline a staggering £100million. Then there was the damage caused by the case of check-in worker Nadia Eweida, who was banned from wearing a cross leading to calls for a BA boycott from church leaders and politicians before the airline saw sense.

Location: Mont St. Michel, France // Googlemaps

via wikipedia:
Mont Saint-Michel is close to the border of Brittany, which has led to Breton claims to the mount. Originally the Couesnon formed the border between the two duchies, and every so often the river would shift its bank, leading to ownership of the mount shifting between them. The river’s bed has now been fixed and Mont Saint-Michel is now firmly in Norman hands. It is home to the unusual Benedictine Abbey and steepled church (built between the 11th and 16th centuries) which occupy most of the one-kilometer-diameter clump of rocks jutting out of the waters of the English Channel.

The Mount was connected to the mainland via a thin natural land bridge, which before modernization was covered at high tide and revealed at low tide. Thus, Mont Saint Michel gained a mystical quality, being an island half the time, and being attached to land the other: a tidal island.

However, the insular character of the mount has been compromised by several developments. Over the centuries, the coastal flats have been polderised to create pasture. The coast south of the mount has thus encroached on the distance between the shore and the mount. The Couesnon River has been canalised, reducing the flow of water and thereby encouraging a silting-up of the bay. In 1879, the land bridge was fortified into a true causeway. This prevented the tide from scouring the silt round the mount. Now there are plans to remove the causeway and replace it with a bridge and shuttle.

On 16 June 2006, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin announced a €150 million project (Projet Mont Saint-Michel) to build a hydraulic dam that will help remove the accumulated silt and make Mont Saint-Michel an island again. It is expected to be completed by 2012.

courtesy of the daily mail in the uk;

British Airways has taken its baggage mishandling to new heights. As the Daily Mail reports, the airline has been off-loading its lost luggage (some 28,000 bags) to cheap baggage sorters in Italy thus elongating their vacations from their rightful owners. Italy being Italy, the bags, of course, have been left unsorted with many of them just being shipped back to Heathrow. Some have even stayed in the bel paese enjoying the pasta and meatballs. (Statistically this is probably true though we can’t furnish any proof, like ragu-stained Trumi roll-ons). BA’s luggage fiasco started on Dec. 29 when a baggage belt broke in Heathrow, fog happened and thousands of bags ended up pulling a Gilligan’s Island. BA further stuck its nose into the mess of its own make when it was uncovered that they’d been charging customers 3p a minute to call its baggage helpline. As the Mail notes, the greedy prick prize has got to go to British Midlands, another carrier, that charges callers to its baggage helpline a usurious 7.5p a minute. Shelling out that kind of sterling, I’d expect heavy breathing, dirty talk and an infant crying in the background.