European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 14, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The m4tro, the subway system is an easy Way to get around Paris a it the City of Light the Pompidou Center above houses the a National museum of modern Art and offers a great View of the City. The mus6e Dpi say once a train station is How a museum containing Art a from 1848 to 1914, continued from Page 3 Ever since the Structure has been a Symbol of tie French  Arch can be reached by underground passages off the champs a lyse is. It is decorated with carvings and statues representing great military victories and i straddles the Tomb of an unknown Soldier with its eternal flame. There is a platform above the Arch that can be reached by elevator or a spiral staircase that takes Only about three minutes to climb but seems much longer. The Reward is not particularly great for the views other than the ones along the straight As an Arrow champs Dys is and toward the Eiffel Tower Are not very interesting. A better place to View the City is from a sight usually visited for other reasons. The Cathedral of notre Dame is one of the Best known churches in the world and rightfully so. The exterior alone is Worth a visit starting with its setting on the Fie de la cite in the Middle of the Seine and continuing with its famous front facade its Majestic twin towers its Graceful but powerful flying buttresses and its whimsical gargoyles. Inside the impressive size the Large stained Glass windows and the elaborate altarpiece and carvings Are almost overwhelming. There is Little artificial lighting inside and on a dreary Day it can be dark but that does t Stop tourists from visiting. So Many visitors pass through the Cathedral that signs directing traffic flow have been erected to make sure everyone moves in the same direction. It is advisable to go in the morning preferably before 10.30, before the rest of the visitors arrive. To escape the crowds and for a novel View of the City climb the Stone Steps inside the North Tower and walk along the platform toward the South Tower which is currently being restored. You can stand nose to nose with the ancient gargoyles and creat Vires inhabiting the Church s upper realms while staring straight Down into. The heart of the City. A Good counterpoint to notre Dame is the nearby Sainte Chappelle this Chapel in a Corner of the palais de Justice is Small airy and Bright even on overcast Days. The Small upper Chapel has 1g Large stained Glass windows that make use of even the slightest gleam of Light. After about one fifth of the Way up the Chapel is All columns and windows. The windows the oldest in Paris Date from the 13th Century and Tell stories from the old and new testaments. Because the Law courts Are still used visitors must enter the grounds by passing through a Metal Detector similar to those used at airports. It s a Little unnerving to hear the alarms go off and to be forced to empty the last centimes from your pockets before being allowed to pass but the Chapel is Well Worth the Effort. Paris is a City of museums beginning with the louvre one of the greatest a and one of the biggest a in All the a world. It has been estimated that if you spent five minutes looking at each item in its collection you would be there every Day from opening time to closing time for a decade. Don t approach this museum without a plan or a Good map. If you re headed for the Mona Lisa the Venus de Milo the great finds of ancient Egypt or the extensive collection of paintings try to stay focused or you May find yourself leaving without seeing what you be come to see. Quot the museum is so big that we spent several hours there and Only saw part of a Wing Quot spec. Eagleburger said. Quot Well have logo Back next time we visit to see  another museum that will leave your head spinning a but one that should t be missed a is the Musee d orsay it is inside a renovated train station that gives it ample room for its display of 19th and Early-20ch Century Art. The greatest attraction is the work of the impressionists a Monet Renoir Manet Degas and Sisley a and of Van Gogh Gauguin and Toulouse Lautrec. These paintings Are on the upper most floor and it takes great determination to pass the first floors to get to  one parisian said it took him several trips to see the impressionists because he spent so much time being sidetracked by the other great works he encountered. Anyone who recalls standing shoulder to shoulder with sweating crowds at the smaller Muse do Jeu de pause to see the impressionist masterpieces will be thrilled to see the paintings in this new setting. And for a diversion glance out the windows of the top floor Halls or the rooftop cafe for a great View of the City. Speaking of great views of the City one of the Best is free. A Paris Guidebook claims the offbeat Georges Pompidou Centre has become the most visited site in Paris with Many of those people walking past the Bookstore Library exhibits and modern Art museum to ride the escalator inside the plexiglass tubes to the Center s roof for a look at the City. The restaurant and Small viewing area can get crowded but no one seems to mind. And when visitors get tired of the View they can return to Earth and stroll past the Odd collection of Street entertainers who gather in tie huge Plaza outside the main Entrance to perform for coins and applause. 4 stripes Magazine january 14, 1993