Gypsies

Marseilles

France

They are stateless, homeless, unwanted anywhere they go – gypsies! Recently, Romas (as they are called in this southern French city of Marseilles) went head to head with local residents. I’ve met some around the Eiffel tower a few years ago. They escaped from war-torn Bosnia via train from Sarajevo to Gare du Nord, which is France’s gateway to other European cities. Not much is known about Bosnia except for the 1990s war and unbeknownst to many Filipinos, Medjugorje (famous for apparitions of the Virgin Mary) is in Bosnia. I gave her a Euro. She took it and said, "Merci."

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Sore Thumb

Paris

France

The 1063-ft Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris. The tallest skyscraper Montparnasse located in the outskirts of the city, pales in comparison at 689 feet. From any vantage point, the Eiffel Tower lords over. You can see it from almost any direction. At night, a rotating light on top marks the spot, like a lighthouse at sea. At certain times, state-of-the-art lights illuminate the tower making it sparkle and dazzle. But amidst gothic churches and historic medieval structures made of stones and marble, the 20^th century steel tower seems out of place, almost like a sore thumb!
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Mona Lisa

Louvre Museum
Paris, France

The Louver houses an impressive 35,000 works of art. Standouts are the sculptures Winged Victory, Venus de Milo and Da Vinci’s Monalisa. These are three masterpieces celebrating the human form; I mean most of it because one has no head, the other without arms, the last having no eyebrows. As you walk towards the end of a hallway you see paintings that cover entire walls. Ironically, the Monalisa, the most celebrated of them all is just 20 7/8" x 30" in dimension. It is currently kept under strict, climate controlled conditions in a bullet-proof glass case….
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