Paris
FRANCE | Sunday, 2 September 2012 | Views [296]
After a good flight we arrived at Charles De Gaulle Airport Paris to a beautiful morning. Driving into Paris we were greeted by the sight of the Eiffel Tower. Looming above the city line. Our apartment is in a beautiful part of Paris 5 minutes walk from the Eiffel Tower. After a restful sleep we headed out for a tour around Paris on Segways. After a practice run we were off and for the next 3 hours we saw the beautiful city of lights of gardens, museums and historic sights. Back to our apartment with red wine, baguette, and meat we settled down to late lunch. Rested we headed back out to tackle the metro. Off the train and we walked up the Avenue Des Champs Elysees past shops beautifully decorated to the Arc De Triomphe.. Wow!! A maze of roads culminating around this magnificent site make for a frenetic area. We climbed to the top and the sight that confronted us was awe inspiring. The view was amazing from the Avenue lined with trees to the surrounding suburbs spread out in tidy wedges. Wearily we walked home as the light of the sun retreated and the city turned on their lights to illuminate our way home. A small restaurant at the end of our street provided a retreat for the evening meal. The city stays alive well into the evening so with us having dinner at 10 pm we were not out of place. I have fallen for this "City of Lights " Roll on Tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
We had a sleep in this morning as it seems Paris parties at night and drags itself awake mid morning. After a light breakfast we launched ourselves out of our apartment to see Versailles. The train ride to Versailles took about 20 minutes then we joined the wave of bodies moving toward this very impressive icon. Versailles is ENORMOUS in both building size and gardens. Marie Antoinette has her residence attached to this area. Louis X1V built this estate and had huge foresight in doing so. Room upon room was filled with pictures, artifacts and chandelliers. The upkeep must be high. This residence overlooks the massive garden as far as the eye can see. Once outside into the gardens we were able to break away from the human tidal wave and amble around the grounds. After ambling and strolling for quite a while ( yes it is huge ) we conceded defeat and opted for the mini train back to the palace. LouisX1V would have needed half a calvary to get aroung this estate and half of the people of France to maintain it. All in all a very impressive place and well worth the visit. Good walking shoes and time are a must to do it justice. Back onto the train and off to Galleries Lafayette. This shopping area is a hive of activity with the domed roof a spectacular sight. Back onto the train to head for a rest and a baguette, refresh and head out for the evening. Headed out about 8pm to see the Eiffel tower lit up then wander the"City of Lights" and have some dinner. It is a beautiful evening and we were mesmerized by the beauty of the Eiffel Tower under lights as she glistened and glowed. We lazily strolled along taking in the evening and feeling very fortunate to be lucky enough to be in this awesome city. Parisians are out in force in the evening playing in the parks, strolling the city or socialising with friends in restaurants until late into the evening. Dinner close to home then home to turn in after another full day.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Good morning Paris. We awoke to another pleasant morning. A crisp morning with blue sky. Perfect for our climb up the Eiffel Tower. Arriving we were confronted with lines of people waiting to venture up the top. The line we were to go in as prepaid visitors was empty yay. At opening we went straight in past the people that had been waiting hours and we were whisked to the top. The top is 340 metres above sea level. The journey up in the lift was really good, the view at the top was mind blowing! Not being a great one for heights it threw me momentarily then the view overtook my hesitation. Any one coming to Paris must do this viewing but book before you come and miss the lines. After ooing and aaahing at the sight of Paris laid out before us in neat wedges we jumped on the metro and headed to Notre Dame Cathedral. Here is another " WOW" place to visit testified by the other half million people there! Being so close the Pantheon was our next target in our great race. What a marvellous building. The tombs underneath were fascinating and well worth the visit. Beside this icon was St Ettienne DuMont a most beautiful church that was built in the early 1600s and a centre point in the Woody Allen movie MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. This church was one I wanted to see and boy was it worth it. It is not widely known but I rate it up there with Notre Dame. The winding cobblestone streets wound down the hill where we found a small eating establishment that served great Pannini. Refreshed we ventured back to the Metro to a jam packed platform, where we crowded onto a train. After our cultural fill we headed home for a rest. Afternoon tea was a perfect baguette and cheese with a tipple of red Rue Clair for dinner then sack time. Another well travelled day.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
This morning was a sleep in as we are fitting in as Parisians as we eat late and get up late. Armed for another action packed day we headed out for the metro for out first stop. The Museum d' O'rsay was the place to be. Aaah the culture, wandering by paintings by Picasso, Renoir, Monet and a few others that have been hung up to fill the spaces. It took me a while to drag Celeste away from the Monet paintings reminding her we could not afford to buy one! The Museum itself is also very impressive. We felt safe as 3 machine gun toting army personnel were patrolling to keep it safe! Next stop was the museum Le' Orangerie which housed the huge paintings by Monet. Very impressive. Jardin Des Tuileries was next which had a fantastic lake where people lazed about and soaked up the sun. Next was our 2 hour walking tour of MontMartre. We felt like mountain goats but the scenery was wonderful and once again we wandered through areas that were frequented by Picasso, Renoit and other painters and artists of their time. This tour culminated in reaching the top of the mountain at Sacre Couer. The church was beautiful as was the view back across Paris. We had dinner at Mont Martre then headed home for a rest to be ready for our next part of the adventure. "Our journey to follow Hugh's movements in WW1)
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