air liquide photos at goldsweig dot com

I am spending the summer of 2002 working for Air Liquide in Paris, France. Air Liquide is the world's leading supplier of industrial and medical gases, but I'm working for Air Liquide Sante, the health care division. I'm researching the American, Canadian, and Brazilian anesthetic nitrous oxide markets, but also touring Paris and enjoying my vacation.

At Air Liquide, I work in offices of people on vacation. Most everyone leaves for at least 3 weeks in August, it seems.

From atop Napoleon's Arc de Triomphe, I got a great view of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower.

Determined to hit all of the important landmarks, I visited Notre Dame cathedral.

I paused in the nave to take a picture with the alter.

I also photographed the famous rose window in the transcept.

I visited the Louvre on the first Sunday of the month, and thus it was free. Notice the pyramids designed by MIT-graduate I.M. Pei.

Inside, I visited Mona, Venus, and Winged Victory. Among the famous works, I took a snapshot with the ancient Gladiator.

Climbing up Montmartre, I visited Sacre Coeur and got a tremendous view of the entire city.

Place de la Concord: Obelisque and Andy.

On Bastille Day, I went to the parade on the Champs-Elysees. I saw President Chirac from near the Arc de Triomphe.

I had to stop and take a picture with a French soldier. There were more than 4000 of them in the parade.

Americans don't have parades like this: infantry, cavalry, tanks, artillery, helicopters, fighters, and bombers.

On Bastille Day, the museums were again free, so I saw some modern art in the Pompidou Center.

I took some time to carefully squeeze the deep meaning out of this Matisse.

The other Air Liquide interns and I went to see the fireworks from the Champ de Mars.

With music, video, tons of flame, and narration by a giant Victor Hugo, the fireworks display was a very impressive show.

I visited the Musee D'Orsay, a converted railway station housing art from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. I hung out with folks like VanGogh...

...and Whistler's Mother.

I also saw some of Monet's Giverny Waterlillies (which look much better on canvas than in real life).

At the Rodin Museum, I saw many passionate sculptures including The Thinker.

At the Hotel des Invalides, I paid a visit to Napoleon Bonaparte.

I saw the ten lap Tour de France finish on the Champs Elysees. I stood about 600 meters south of the Arc de Triomphe, and was in the first row against the police barrier since I arrived at 1 for a 2:30 parade and 3:30 race. A parade of sponsors led off the event.

It was 38 degrees Celsius, and I was hot in my maillot jaune, the yellow jersey of the Tour leader.

Lance leads the US Postal team in their seventh lap.

I wave the flag in celebration of Lance Armstrong's victory.

Mara came to visit me for the first week in August. We did the tourist business I hadn't yet done. We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

We visited the palace and gardens of Versailles.

I want a "Hall of Mirrors" in my house too.

Finally, at the end of Mara's visit, I overcame my years of vegetarianism. I ate a sole. I've since eaten tuna, salmon, chicken, turkey, duck, and beef.

I got in touch with Julien Malaussena, my partner from the 1995 DCDS/College Moulin Joli Exchange Program. We met for dinner near La Villette.

Like all the French people, I decided to leave town in August: I spent a weekend in Amsterdam. I visited the Anne Frank House before Shabbat, and then I davened (and attended a Bar Mitzvah) at the Jacob Obrechtplein synagogue.

For Shabbat Mincha, I went to the Portugese Synagogue. There I attended a Sheva Brachot complete with Portugese and Ladino prayers.

The Portugese synagogue was dedicated in 1675. Rembrandt, who lived across the streed, painted many of its members, and Spinoza was excommunicated by its rabbinate.

Speaking of Rembrandt, I visited the Rijksmuseum on Sunday and saw his "Nightwatch."

I also saw Vermeer's "Woman Pouring Milk," one of only seven identified Vermeer works.

Due to the Catholic Assumption, I had a four day weekend, so I traveled to Copenhagen (Kobenhavn) to visit the Little Mermaid.

I visited the Danske Nationalmuseet and saw traces of Danes from thousands of years ago.

Getting down to business, I visited the Carlsberg Brewery. The tour was informative and free, and the open bar, also free, was a nice addition. Carlsberg is honestly the only beer available in the whole city.

What visit to Copenhagen would be complete without a stop at the Tivoli Gardens? Tivoli, founded in 1796, is the world's oldest amusement park. Visiting on Tivoli's 159th Fodselsdag (Birthday), I was treated to extra concerts and performances. I rested with a lion by the Japanese footbridge.

Tivoli is guarded by an children's army. The boys march around and perform a changing of the guard to the music of the children's army band. I swam in the Baltic Sea, a little cleaner, on Shabbat afternoon. I davened at the Great Synagogue, a magnificent 1833 building, and ate by Chabad. For mincha, I visited the small shul, Machzikei Hadass. Founded in 1910, it stood next to the Nazi barracks in Copenhagen, and some of the soldiers attended the Rabbi's Shabbat Shiur until the Jews fled to Sweden.

On Sunday, I visited the Statens Museum for Kunst. Amid a sea of modern art (full of feeling, to be sure), I found Peter Paul Rubens' "Solomons Dom" (Wisdom of Solomon). Some of the outfits reminded me of the Mermaid March 2002 (Gay Pride Parade) I'd stumbled upon earlier.

Fredrick IV's Palace of Rosenborg and its gardens were almost lavish enough. The Palace contained many royal posessions and the treasury housed the Crown Jewels and Sword of the State. I also visited the palaces of Ameliaborg and Christiansborg and the fort at Kastellet.