European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 9, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Nighttime glitter along the chomps a snacking in Montmartre. S the glow going out of the City of Light often in recent years fear has been expressed that Paris is losing its personality its soul its Charisma or whatever it is that made it one of the social cultural and style centers of the world. Multinational businesses Are entered in London and Brussels nowadays and clothing styles Are set in London and new York. As for Paris s reputation As the seedbed for great literature where Are the writers poets and playwrights of yesteryear or As Villon asked of son is Neiges d Antan where Are the Demases Hugos Millers Hemingway Joyces Wildes and Gides and what of the Paris Skyline today with High Rise buildings towering with abrupt starkness Over a City Rich and Mellow in Many Classi Cal architectural styles. But much that was tradition ally Paris remains. There Are the age old sight seeing attractions notre Dame the left Bank Montmartre the River Seine the Arch of Triumph the Eiffel Tower the louvre champs elys6es, and so on. Many Blanch at the thought of driving in the traffic choked City and nowhere is the Madcap swirl of Auto chaos More evident than when viewed from the top of the Arch of Triumph. But if much is changed much is the same. Paris has always been a City that appeals to the senses particularly those of sight and taste. And in these modern times those senses in no Way get the Short shrift. It is a City that cries out to be walked through. Along its Many streets lie matchless vistas that High Rise buildings can never mar and its restaurants still serve food to Delight the palate. And even for the budget visitor there is always that loaf of bread bottle of wine and cheese to be consumed on the Banks of the Seine in a setting that is always uniquely Paris. Mike Spear is photos by Pete Mali a show time seems to be All the time in the Boulevard St. Michel area. Distant High rises break up the Paris Panorama from Eiffel Tower towards palais do Chaillot. Page 12 the stars and stripes sorbonne scene students take a break at nearby sidewalk cafe. Sunday october 9, 1977 the firs time i saw by Melody Stutts cup of Tea and a French Roll called a croissant comprised my first breakfast in the cafe Trocadero in Paris. After trav Eling about nine hours on a bus this meager snack did Little for my famished stomach. My wariness about ordering a larger meal paid off. The cafe took my 12 francs or $2.40, plus a 15% service charge. Our tour guide informed us later that if we had stood at the counter As All French people do so Early in the morning we would have paid half the Price. At any rate i found Solace in a banana i had stowed away on the tour bus. It was overcast and Chilly but i was determined not to let the weather have its effect. The walk to the Eiffel Tower was interrupted by a photographer who insisted on taking my picture in front of the 7,700 ton Iron Monument. After two or three no s with violent shaking of my head and men acing looks the cameraman walked off muttering obscenities that Are understood in any language. Some of my fellow tour companions were not so persuasive. One i was clicked for 50 francs. But Paris with its Beautiful structures and outdoor cafes worked on me like a mood ring. By the time we arrived at notre Dame i was filled with anticipation. By Day or by night notre Dame was to become my favorite Church. Maybe it was the multitude of gargoyles thrusting their gothic Heads at me As i walked around the building to the doorway of the Virgin. Or perhaps it was the dark Interior whose Only source of Light aside from prayer candles was Sun trying to filter through a variety of colors in the stained Glass windows. What Ever the reason i had the distinct feeling that Victor Hugo s Hunchback would come swinging Down from one of the two towers that Rose 225 feet above the ground. In the evening the blazing Brilli Ance of the champs Elysee acted me like a Moth to a Light bulb. With Cine Mas galore and enough people to fill them to capacity the acclaimed Street proved most entertaining. But who needs to sit inside and be amused you had Only to position yourself at an outdoor Caf 6 and watch. The first showman arrived in minutes. A Skinny Young Man with bandages on his arms he placed his Brown Derby on the Street and began to Call for an audience. People milled around to watch. He literally tied himself in knots. He walked on his arms hopped with his elbows and per formed other contortions then left with his Brown Derby a Little Fuller. If acrobatics weren t your style there was plenty of music from guitar players or Horn blowers. By the second Day i had gathered enough courage to go underground to Dis cover the very efficient transportation system known As the metro a fast and in expensive Mode of. Travelling that was easily understood even by those who get lost at every Corner. There were maps with the subway lines in every station and a smaller route of the stops inside the trains. Using the subway i landed at the place Duchatelet. The Fountain of the Palms was easily recognizable and from the Napoleonic landmark it was Only a leisurely stroll across the Bridges of the shimmering Seine River to notre Dame a grandiose but fragile backdrop against the night sky. A few More Steps brought me to the latin Quarter. My stomach told me that it was time to find a restaurant. Luckily a French jazz musician who spoke excellent English bumped into my growling Stom Ach. He suggested a medium priced restaurant and i had a Savory French meal Complete with wine. The night was Balmy and feeling warm from the wine i continued walking. The Boulevard St. Michel has an atmosphere All its own. On this diverse Street one could see almost anything. Elvis Presley was alive there. Huge Cinema billboards showing the King invited you in to see More. A pig kept turning round and round on a stick slowly smoking in a window. St. Michel the heart of the latin Quarter is a Center for College Stu dents a place for radicals made notorious by violent Street fighting Between students and police in 1968. Cave like discos were common but not so common was the Price of a Beer. Twenty francs or about $4 for one bottle of Beer and a place to sit. Although the night life was intriguing there were plenty of activities to keep one Busy during the Day. Sightseeing and shop Ping or just sitting on a Park Bench with some French bread cheese and wine toss ing a Crumb to the disinterested pigeons who seemed so French in their nonchalance would occupy the Daylight hours. A Quick run through the louvre the largest Palace in the world but particularly known As the museum which houses some 200,000 works of Art would whet anybody s appetite. Paris is a main meal and not just an appetizer. Many of us who have had Only a taste want to go Back for a full course. Of course you Only get what you pay for. The stars and stripes Page 13