Home, Sweet Home

Shaboom sends us her update from Paris, France:

We had a great time in Istanbul but are finally back to French coffee and pastries.

I'm not trying to make myself out to be some kind of peeping Tom, but I love looking at the rooftops in Paris, so sometimes that means I find myself staring into the windows below the rooftops.

Do you see Montparnasse Tower in the back? The French hate it and call it the eyesore of Paris.

Here's a quote from Wikipedia to better explain the Montparnasse hatred:

Its simple architecture, gigantic proportions and monolithic appearance have been often criticised for being out of place in Paris's urban landscape and, as a result, two years after its completion, the construction of skyscrapers in the city centre was banned.

The design of the tower predates architectural trends that placed high importance on a view of the outside, and so only offices around the perimeter of each floor have windows (more modern skyscrapers are often designed to provide a window for every office).

It is sometimes said, only half-jokingly, that the view from the top is the most beautiful in Paris, since it is the only place from which one cannot see the tower.^[2]

A 2008 poll of editors on Virtualtourist voted the building the second-ugliest building in the world.^[3]

I love the little flowerpot looking chimneys on all the roofs.

Sometimes this means you get to catch intimate glimpses into people's lives.

This girl looks like she's studying for finals. God, I remember those days. Good luck, girl! You can do it!