We flew out of Nuremberg on Sunday, March 27th. We landed in Paris at 9:30 PM and headed for our hotel. After a bus ride, train ride, bus ride and then another train ride we got to our apartment at 12:30 AM! Maybe next time we'll pay for a taxi:)
Monday, Mach 28th. We woke up and grabbed a few bakery treats for breakfast on our way to meet up with a friend of a friend who said she would show us around a bit on our first day in Paris. Marianne was very nice, a New Zealander who has been living in Paris the last 2 years. Warning: There are a lot of pictures here!
This is the first shot of Paris I got as I exited the Metro at 12:30 AM on Monday morning.
We stayed in an apartment that was on the 5th floor of the building. This is the view from our window as you looked out across the chimneys of the adjoining buildings.
Looking down from our apartment window you can see the courtyard for our building.
Marianne began our tour of Paris in the very modern business district of La Défense. It was interesting to see how everyday Parisians live their lives, go to work, eat and relax. This business complex has many fountains and cafes where you can relax on your lunch break.
Next stop, the Eiffel Tower! I don't think you can adequately describe just how big this structure is, you really have to see it for yourself. It was pretty amazing to stand right under the world's most recognizable monument.
The Arc de Triomphe. Built by Napoleon to celebrate his many victories, now the best spot in Paris to get a great view of the city...from the top.
On our way up the 284 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. It really was neat to stand at the top and see Paris below and all around you.
After lunch we decided to try one of these French specialty cookies, the macaron. They are made from egg whites and have the consistency of a meringue with frosting in the middle. I hate to say it but they were actually a little too sweet for my taste.
Napoleons tomb. Don't ask me how Napoleon has become such a hero in the eyes of the French. After the revolution he basically crowned himself Emperor and ruled over them as a monarch. How was this better than the monarchy they just chopped the heads off of? I don't know, you'll have to ask someone from France. His tomb is located in this huge dome with carvings surrounding his tomb depicting his life as the ruler of most of Europe. The whole time I was there I kept thinking, this man probably had the biggest Ego of anyone who ever lived!
The Louvre. We didn't have much time, the museum was going to close in about an hour but we figured an hour in the Louvre was still worth it. We weren't disappointed.
Venus de Milo. An ancient Greek statue sculpted around 100 BC, simply amazing to see in person this wonderful piece of history.
The Mona Lisa. Once again, pretty incredible to see such a famous piece of art history. The best part about going to the Louvre right before closing is the crowds are pretty scarce. Remember this shot, you'll see it again on Day 3 of our trip, only this time we came in the middle of the afternoon, peak tourist hours.
Saint-Sulpice. This was one of the many beautiful Cathedrals we had the opportunity to walk around. After living in Europe for 3 years sometimes Cathedrals start all looking the same but I still get a sense of awe when I walk in and imagine the work it took and the sacrifice it took to build such a structure.
A funny side note: There is a note in this church that says, "Despite what Dan Brown wrote in his book The DaVinci Code this church has nothing to do with the Priory of Sion." I just thought it was funny they would have to publicly discount their relationship to a work of fiction. I'm sure there were crazy fans out there that were trying to break away the stone tiles to find clues about the Priory.
A funny side note: There is a note in this church that says, "Despite what Dan Brown wrote in his book The DaVinci Code this church has nothing to do with the Priory of Sion." I just thought it was funny they would have to publicly discount their relationship to a work of fiction. I'm sure there were crazy fans out there that were trying to break away the stone tiles to find clues about the Priory.
The last thing we did on our first day in Paris was take a cruise down the Seine River. We were told that this is a romantic thing to do in Paris so we thought we would give it a shot. Unfortunately about five minutes before the boat departed a big bus load of rowdy teenagers on a school trip boarded the boat. So much for a quiet, romantic trip down the river. Despite the crowded boat it was still lovely to see Paris all lit up at night.
Day one in Paris was wonderful. We got to enjoy seeing some major sights as well as discover some out of the way yummy cafes. Most of all it was fantastic to be with Hyrum, just Hyrum.
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