Shooting for Paris

Living and working in Paris, two friends - one American and one Canadian - experience the city far more than they could have on vacation.

A month in France takes them to ancient Roman temples, expansive parks, elegant cathedrals, the jungles of Africa and the streets of Montmartre.

They play the parts of vestal virgins, working girls, Rodin statues, woodland fairies, staid librarians, Norse princesses, angels and devils.

In between eating too much bread and cheese, experiencing great works of art in celebrated museums, and working in dark studios and sparkling lakes, they marvel at the architecture and watch the sun set over the Seine.

They see almost everything on their lists. They go to the popular tourist sights on grand boulevards and explore hidden neighborhoods tucked behind winding back alleys. They venture to the outer edges of the city where most visitors never go and take a few side trips outside of Paris to places millions of people go. They eat in Michelin starred restaurants, tiny sidewalk cafes, anonymous sandwich shops, basement taverns and their own apartment kitchen. They meet a variety of locals, other foreigners working in France and people just passing through. They ride a lot of trains, a few cars, a scooter or two, and even drive a little themselves.

Yet they barely scratch the surface. Personal relationships and guiding principles are sacrificed to do everything and almost nothing. Months, and even years, are not enough to dig deep into the heart of Paris. They will never know La Ville Lumiere as intimately as it knows them in such a short time.