Paris is a place but it is also so identified with its people. The cafe culture is dominant and people watching at these cafes is almost sublime. I saw this man reading the paper every morning I was there--he was carefully marking the paper, perhaps looking for a job or for a place to live, perhaps for the best thing to bet on, but he was there every morning at 8 in the morning, same chair, same pose.

I of course went to the Louvre and the Rodin museum, and enjoyed both, but this shot of a man outside of the Louve in the old tile works garden spoke to me almost as much as any of the statues or paintings. What a great place that allows you to be so contemplative and relaxed, and thoughtful, all in such great space and light.

I took this photo in the neighborhood near the Sacre Couer in the montemarte area. Danielle, an absolutely beautiful young woman from Germany was getting her portrait done by one of the many street artists, in part because her father had his portrait done 20 years before in the same place. She was working in Paris for several months, and was, like me, being a tourist.

The accordionist would switch from Eastern European folk tunes to Bach to waltzes to Gershwin, so quickly it was almost disconcerting. He didn't want to me to take his photo at first, and it wasn't until I contributed enough coins to his hat that he said OK...for the record, to take his photo required about a $10.00 contribution, and then he posed willingly. Commerce rules the arts...