Nov 09
16
Paris… the city of lights!
Venus de Milo, Louvre, Paris
Paris… the city of lights!
The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Parisian life!
Ahhh, the life of a Parisian: indulgent pastries and museums by day, four-star, three-course Michelin-starred dinners by night. You know what they say about French women not getting fat, so why not?
Place we love, even if it is touristy: Although thousands of avid Da Vinci Code believers can be seen clutching their copy of the best-selling book here, the Louvre Museum is much, much more than the Mona Lisa.
We arrived t the CDG Airport from Dublin and we were excited to be here. Now all we had to do was find the train to the closet station to our hotel and we could start our day. We found the train and purchased the Paris Visites, which are valid for either 1, 2, 3 or 5 days’ unlimited use on the entire RATP network, and may be purchased online before your departure to France. The advantage that we selected this for is that they can be purchased for certain travel zones, either just within Paris, or for trips as far away as Versailles, Disneyland-Paris, or the airports.
The train ride was unique as the outskirts of Paris was nothing of what I expected, at least not what I saw on the train ride in. The area surrounding the tracks were industrial, low income, exactly what I see when I ride the train system in the San Francisco, Bay area.
We got to the train station checked in to our Holiday Inn hotel and off we went to Sacre-Coeur situated in the heart of the town.
Sacre-Coeur, Paris, France
Sacre-Coeur: We walled over 115 stairs to the to where the Cathedral sits and now you have arrived! The Sacre-Coeur is beautiful enchanting and more then I ever expected. We were able to go in on a Sunday during one of the mass times and as soon as we walked and the nuns choir was signing. The music we heard was the most beautiful, relaxing and soul soothing I had ever heard. We spent some time immersing ourselves in the history, the beauty and the awe-inspiring greatness of the building. I strongly suggest that before you go in to begin your visit take a little time to discover the history of the Basilica, which is an on going adventure.
We had to say good by to this amazing place and head now for a tour of the Notre Dame.
The Cathedrale Notre Dame De Paris just took my breathe away!! It was so beautiful!! It reminded me of a movie of the Hunchback of the Notre Dame!!! It was really an amazing place and I can’t wait to go back. Make sure you climb up the tower and the scenery at the top is marvelous. There are 387 steps to get to the top. It’s quite a hike up the stairs but it’s definitely worth it. The view was well worth all the stairs I had to climb. At the top of the tower, I could overlook the centre of Paris, the Eiffel Tower in the distance and obviously the Sen River, and a big castle on a hill in the other direction.
The Louvre: Oriental, Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities, sculpture, objects d’art such as
Venus de Milo, Louvre, Paris
porcelain and European paintings. We got in to the museum pretty quickly, and made the rounds. We took but a few minutes to glance at the Mona Lisa, surrounded by camera touting tourists and it is encased in glass which reflected the many camera flashes aimed at it. If anything did surprise my wife and I about the portrait it was how small and mundane it actually is. I was more interested in another famous exhibit the Venus de Milo. I’m just glad we came in the off season as I’m not sure I would be able to see so much or get so close to the exhibits in the peak season. Well the time is going by so fast and we must get to the Eiffel Tower. I can’t wait to come back again to the Louvre.
Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
Eiffel Tower: We arrived later in the night and we found a line to stand in, it was bit confusing on which line to take, does it have an tram to the observation deck or do you have to walk. We choose the one to walk, more by default as this was the shortest line and it was starting to get pretty cold out side and we were tired from the day. The views once we made it to the top were amazing! At night you can really understand why Paris is the city of lights. If you are thinking of planning a trip to Paris and the Eiffel Tower Check out this site for fees, hours and more information. La Tour Effel.
It was a great day in Paris! The travel, the people, the views and the history ( and for those who love to shop) this was a amazing place and one that I can not wait to go back to again. If you do want to plan a trip to pairs there are some great deals right now. Check these last minute deals out. Last Minute deals to Paris
Safe Travels
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