Where we went and what we saw in Paris:

Eiffel Tower- Built in two years, the tower was the most important monument of the 1889 World fair.

We rode the trolley at the north end to the 2nd floor. From there we traveled by elevator to the 3rd and highest floor. We took many photos and visited the shops at the top of the tower. Since the Eiffel Tower can be seen from any other monument in Paris, by the end of the week we found ourselves saying, “there’s the tower again”.

Arc de triomphe- The Arc was built from 1806 to 1836 and its purpose was to commemorate the military exploits of France under the Revolution and the First Empire.

The Arc stands in the middle of a rotary. To reach the middle the city has built a tunnel that runs beneath the street, eliminating the need for pedestrian stoplights. The tunnel also diminishes the frequency of tourists being injured trying to cross the busy street. There were over 200 steps to climb to the top of the Arc. From the summit, there are amazing views or the entire city. Even more fun, was watching the traffic circling below you.

Notre Dame- The cathedral was under construction from 1163 till 1245. After the revolution the monumental and decorative statuary of the portals and towers were badly damaged. At the beginning of the 19th century, the towers, like the rest of the cathedral, were in very poor condition. After the success of Victor Hugo’s novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”, a campaign was initiated to restore the cathedral to its original splendor. The renovations took place in 1845.

Inside the cathedral is as breath taken as the out side architecture. The stain glass images that line the church give a off a soft glow that bounces off the conclave ceilings. Standing outside on the bridge between the towers makes you appreciate the silent calm that comes from being high above the traffic and crowds.

The Louvre- The construction of the Louvre began under the reign of Philip Augustus in 1204. The construction took some seven centuries to complete. Originally used as a palace of the kings of France, it became a museum in 1793 and is now, one of the largest museums in the world.

While at the Louvre we saw many famous works, however we were surprised at how small most of them were. People seem to associate size with importance so I was surprised when I saw that the real Mona Lisa was smaller then the posters of her sold in the gift shop. We also saw “The Winged Victory of Samothrace”, the “Venus de Milo”, and masterpieces from all four teenage mutant ninja turtles.
Pantheon- Built from 1764 to1790, the Constituent Assembly decreed on April 4th, 1791, to turn the basilica into a temple destined to accommodate the remains of the great men of the Nation. Later the great women of the nation also found a final resting place within the Pantheon crypt.
Along the walls of the Pantheon are murals depicting French history. In the center of the room is the enormous Foucault’s pendulum guarded by a black cat. Ascending to the top of the dome, you have a 306-degree view of all Paris.

Boat Cruise-

After walking for four days, we took a boat cruise on the river. The cruise took about an hour and featured seating on a double decker, open top boat. The tour took us passed all the major sites that we had just spent hours walking to. I was a nice break for our feet, and the tour was given in English.

Moulin Rouge-

We did not sit in for a show at this famous landmark, but we did walk past it. As with so many other monuments and works in Paris, The Moulin Rouge did not seem to measure up to the size expectations Hollywood has placed upon it. Seeing the height of the windmill was a bit of a disappointment.
Cimetiere Montmarte-
During our walk to the Moulin Rouge we literally stumbled upon this famous cemetery. The graves and tombs are all above ground, and is the resting places of some well know celebrities including Jim Morrison, and Dumas.

Flee market-

As we were walking back to our hotel on the last day, we spotted flea market spanning the length of five blocks and two streets. We were hoping to find care bears only sold in Europe during the 1980’s, but to no avail.

Candid camera-

While we were walking down the street on our first day in Paris, a woman approached us and hit my spouse with the bouquet of flowers she was carrying. We kept walking, assuming it was a case of mistaking identity, when we heard clapping and laughing. A man came up to us explaining that we had just been filmed for a candid camera type of show. We gave him our information and consent for the footage, and they will be sending us a DVD of the show our segment in on.