Thursday's child has far to go...: November 2014

Today is the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. While not the actual day of unification between East and West Germany, it was the day of liberation for those who had been trapped on the grey side of the wall on November 9th 1989. Although the wall was only erected in 1961, the division of Germany and its capital Berlin came about at the end of World War II in 1945 but it wasn't until the wall came down that the last dregs of the war were over.

The fall of the Wall has been used as a metaphor for freedom, including by Barack Obama when he was elected President. The Wall came down with bulldozers and hammers and used as relics and reminders, with less of the Wall in Berlin than the rest of the world.

Visiting the Brandenburg Gate not long after it was opened as a crossing

"Study the past if you would define the future." - Confucious

There is a familiarity to Paris, whether you are a fist time visitor of the waiters know your name at La Rotonde. As one of the most photographed cities in the world, everyone has seen the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Musee de Louvre hundreds of times over. However, when you see them in person and take the time to absorb the atmosphere, you can feel the draw they have had on the millions of people who have stood in the very same spot throughout time. The goal then becomes how to experience them in a unique way.

With only a weekend to explore the city, it was tempting to act like all the other hot and hassled tourists. But rather than turn up with the crowds at each icon, pose for the cheesy snapshot and leave, we were rewarded for our patience. Taking in the atmosphere (and ignoring the illegal vendors) and sun during the day, then watching the sunset and the twinkling lights revealed the multiple sights within the one scene.

However, when the crowds were inescapable, following the locals to their favourite summer spots was the best way to go. Pulling up a chair and dozing in the sun at the Jardin du Luxembourg (below left), walking the gardens of Rodin's museum (below centre) and admiring the antiques at the weekend markets (below right) made for a lovely summer in Paris.

Avoiding the crowds and visiting the sites at dawn provided a quieter and lesser seen side of Paris. With only a weekend in Paris during the summer, there was no way we were going to attempt to get inside the Louvre. Watching the sunrise through the glass pyramid and from the reflection in the pools and then have a freshly baked croissant from a just opened bakery was likely a better experience than any other visitor to the Louvre had that day.

To cap off a wonderful weekend in Paris, there was one photo that I wanted to get. With my travel tripod, sitting in the middle of the Champs-Elysees, being sworn at in French, I got it.