Clear skies

Paris has been hazy for weeks, and the pollution has been in the spotlight several times - alternating traffic restrictions, gags like 'here's your number, here's your gas mask' for the Paris Marathon, etc. Fortunately, nothing clears the smog like a good rain, which it seems to have done while we were out of town, and again last night. So this morning dawned as clear as it's been in a long while. As such, I decided to take advantage by going up somewhere high. I debated several spots (Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, Grand Arch de La Defense) but settled on the Tour Monparnasse, in part because it's the easiest to get to, but also because it's very, very tall, but not very well known. Sure enough, I was able to walk right up and head right to the top. And then I just spent a great deal of time taking pictures. Lots of them. It was actually nice, because there's an enclosed part I could retreat to and warm up in before heading back out. So I did. repeatedly. I doubt I'll post very many of the pictures anywhere, but it's fun to see the city, each building, when you know them and walk past them everyday.

And to top it all off, we're headed to the theatre this evening to see Antigone. There's a well known French actress, Juliette Binoche, in the lead role, so it should be an excellent production (fingers crossed!)