T

otal Solar Eclipse

 

August 11, 1999











French flag




We had the good fortune to be in Paris when a total solar eclipse occured within easy traveling distance. Hearing that the line of the eclipse would pass just about thirty miles north of Paris we decided to make an excursion to be "with it".

From the great excitement and coverage in all of the media we should have known that we wouldn't be the only ones travelling that day. If we have any excuse it is that we had grown accustomed to the fact that while there are about 8 million Parisians, on any given day and in any given museum or church that we had visited, the place was nearly empty. Yes, there were a few exceptions, such as Notre Dame, but they really were few. And yes, the Louvre had a lot of visitors, but it is so gigantic that it easiy accommodates them.

But such is not the case of the rural roads of France. Once off the freeways you will typically find yourself on a two lane road. And such was the case for us, finding ourselves trapped in a traffic jam, far away from the line of centrality, with the minutes until centrality ticking away.

But, let's go back to the beginning:





February 26, 2003