Paris so far has been an incredible experience so far! Despite visiting the city before and it not being on the highest of my list of places to visit, I decided to go in with an open mind and have been having a great time. We arrived right in the middle of the preparations for the upcoming Olympics which means we get to see what it takes for a city to host! That basically means everything noteworthy is covered in scaffolding and stadiums are being erected across the city. Subway stops, parks, streets, even part of famous sites are closed since renovations are being done. The parts that are finished look very beautiful and clean. In fact, I have been very impressed with how clean the city feels with lots of polishing going in since Paris will be thrust into the spotlight and they want to look presentable.
Having already done all the main attractions like the Louvre, Musee de Orsay, Eiffel Tower, I wanted to focus my attention on the “lesser attractions.” In Amsterdam, me and a few Rice students got invited to the AMS institute mixer and I met a serial Parisian who gave me a whole list of things to do, basically telling me to skip “all the museums since the city is the best museum you will see.”
So to get the most of the unlimited metro pass we were required to purchase, I traveled far and wide to most quarters of the city to see what they were like. I traveled to Foundation Louis Vuitton which is this super modern contemporary art museum designed to look like a sailboat by Frank Gehry and run by the fashion house of the same name. It is located in the middle of the largest public park in Paris and is free for students on Thursdays and had an exhibition on Ellsworth Kelly (the artist behind the Austin Chapel at UT, if you know, you know). Additionally, the surrounding area is home to some of the richest people of Paris and has some incredible architecture and luxury cars driving around. Well worth the trip in my opinion.
I also checked out two other great museums that I recommend a visit. One is the Musee des Arts et Metiers, a museum that holds a repository of technical and scientific innovations that has been collected since the late 18th century and preserved in a massive old church. Taking an engineering class and visiting a museum where you get to see some of the coolest inventions and models felt really nice. Free for students.
Next was Centre Pompidou, a place worth it to see just for the engineering and architecture. It is a shinning example of inside-out architecture designed by Renato Piano with all the structural, electrical, plumbing, and even escalators on the outside of the building versus the inside. It is a multi-culture center with a public library, conference space (Nike was holding a basketball gathering where I got to see some really fashionable people walking around), and the largest modern art museum in Europe. One of exhibitions showcased some original TinTin comic and concept art that was super cool to see since I used to read the TinTin comics growing up. Of course, riding on the exposed escalators was my highlight, with them seemingly never ending! Once at the top you have a great view of the Basilica and Eiffel Tower. Free for students and free for everyone to ride up and get the view if you just keep walking.
Our project has been going great as well, and I am building a “revolutionary, minimalistic, slim, structural, innovative storage solution to transport vessels containing liquid matter” ie cupholder for a power wheelchair user. The design and prototype process is all new for me as a business major, but I feel I am learning a lot and think the design is coming along nicely. I am really excited to test the final prototype and see it successfully transport a full cup of coffee across the cobblestones of Paris!