George Washington statue in Paris
George Washington Statue
Place d'Iéna, 16th arrondissement (Map)
Métro: Iéna
The first time I ever took the Métro to the station called Iéna (pronounced ee-ay-nah), I came up the stairs and onto the sidewalk, noticed this statue of a guy on horseback in the middle of the traffic circle, and remarked to an American friend, "Ha, this guy looks like George Washington!" Then I read the inscription on the pedetal — it totally is George Washington! Of course the Revolution-era Americans were BFFs with the French, and it's not too uncommon to find little traces of that here and there in modern day Paris. This statue was erected in 1900, and a funny footnote about it is that American soldiers stationed in Paris after World War I used to steal his sword all the time, those jokers.
It's funny to see something(/someone) so American in France. Reminds me of the time I ran across a beautiful bust of Benjamin Franklin in the Louvre. But that's an article for another day...
The Statue of Liberty in Paris
Musée de l'Armée
The assassination of Henri IV