Visiting my roots in Paris, France
The Eiffel tower by night
|
Lennart in Arlanda airport
|
Since 508 A.D, Paris is the capital of France, the largest country of Western Europe with 550 000 km2 (the second in population with 65 millions inhabitants). Paris has 2.234 million inhabitants end 2011. She is the core of the Paris metropolitan area, officially known as Ile de France region (12 million people).
Each year, 44 million tourists visit Paris and the surrounding Ile de France region. Paris is year after year the most visited city in the world. The top Paris attractions are Disneyland Paris (15 million visitors each year), Notre Dame Cathedral (13.6), the Sacre Coeur (10,5), the Louvre Museum (9), the Eiffel Tower (6.180), Versailles Palace (6), Centre Pompidou (5) and the Cite des Sciences (3). So with that said, Lennart and I decided to visit Paris in late 2013. The general plan was to have a nice time but also visit my roots in my own little way. |
Father's place
Back in the late 50's, my mother used to hang out in the bohemian quarters of Montparnasse, a part of the city's 14th arrondissement. This district is traditionally known for lively cafés and restaurants around the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the rue Daguerre. Even myself prefer this part of Paris. This time we stayed at Hotel De L'Orchidee conveniently located near the metro station Pernety in the heart of Montparnasse. The objective with this day was to visit the neighborhood where my father lived when he met my mother.
Note! Click on images to see slideshow and captions!
Note! Click on images to see slideshow and captions!
Finding your love in Paris?
Paris is known to be the city of love and romance. Could that really be true? Hmm what do I know? In any case, that is nothing I have experienced lately. But obviously my mother found her love here in Paris so maybe that would be possible even for me. So Lennart and I went to the Jardin du Luxembourg to find out!
Note! Click on images to see slideshow and captions!
Note! Click on images to see slideshow and captions!
We visit another romantic place
We decided to go for the bridges over the river Seine. Many of them I think are very romantic places but one in particular, Pont des Art would qualify as the number one.
Note! Click on images to see slideshow and captions!
Note! Click on images to see slideshow and captions!
The sad story about my father's grave
The objective with this day was to:
1) Visit the neighborhood where I spent some time when I was a kid.
2) Visit my father's grave located somewhere in Rueil-Malmaison.
As I wrote before, my father, his parents and my mother lived in Montparnasse, the central of Paris. Since the apartment was too small for them they decided to move out to Rueil-Malmaison. This place is a commune in the western suburbs. It is located 12.6 km from the centre of Paris. Later when my father died he was buried in a cemetery located not far from this new apartment in the suburb.
Since my mother is a little bit forgetful these days I had not much to go after. I had my own vague memories from the days I was a kid 5-10 years old. Later in life I have been here a couples of times, the last time maybe when I was in my golden age of 30. Together with my memories I knew the address to the apartment, it was Résidence les Taratres. Concerning the cemetery I didn't know the name nor the the location. So obviously there was not much to go after. But despite the odds we decided to have a go!
Note! Click on images to see slideshow and captions!
1) Visit the neighborhood where I spent some time when I was a kid.
2) Visit my father's grave located somewhere in Rueil-Malmaison.
As I wrote before, my father, his parents and my mother lived in Montparnasse, the central of Paris. Since the apartment was too small for them they decided to move out to Rueil-Malmaison. This place is a commune in the western suburbs. It is located 12.6 km from the centre of Paris. Later when my father died he was buried in a cemetery located not far from this new apartment in the suburb.
Since my mother is a little bit forgetful these days I had not much to go after. I had my own vague memories from the days I was a kid 5-10 years old. Later in life I have been here a couples of times, the last time maybe when I was in my golden age of 30. Together with my memories I knew the address to the apartment, it was Résidence les Taratres. Concerning the cemetery I didn't know the name nor the the location. So obviously there was not much to go after. But despite the odds we decided to have a go!
Note! Click on images to see slideshow and captions!
