We spent a couple weeks in the City of Lights - experiencing busy city life and taking in the world famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumph, Versailles, Notre Dame, Hotel de Invalides, and so many others. We took the transports en common including the metro (subway) and the bus and we walked up stairs, down stairs, up tall towers and down through metal steel work. We walked and walked and walked some more. We ate like Parisiennes (sans de la viande) and did as much as we could do in this amazing city. It was fantastic!
With this being our first visit to Paris, some of the things we found the most interesting for good, bad or indifferent was 1) The level of security - we'll just say the French gendarmerie look tough. One thing is for sure - we felt protected. 2) The ease of travel around a large area. Between the buses, elevated train and the subway, it was so easy to get around without a car. In fact, we parked our car near where we were staying and didn't move it for two weeks. 3) The history of the city is incredible. Paris goes back to the gauls, the vikings and the romans - thousands of years there has been some sort of community and commerce along the Seine.
Alas, we bid au revoir to Paris and traveled west towards the ocean.
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| So glad we had the opportunity to see Paris |
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Alexandre III Bridge - the most beautiful bridge I have ever seen
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| The bridge was named after Tsar Alexandre III of Russia and built in 1896 |
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The nymphs
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| Under the Tour d'Eiffel |
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| CDG himself (Charles deGaulle) on the Champs Elysee |
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| The Louvre |
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| The Louvre |
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| River barge - notice the braces that keep the boats from hitting the wall in the strong current |
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Pont Neuf (New Bridge) the oldest bridge in Paris
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| Pont Neuf figureheads |
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| The Pantheon |
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| Random security at the Pantheon |
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| Faune dansant - Jardin de Luxembourg |
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| Le Metro |
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| Le Seine a nuit |
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| New Years Eve from the Arc de Triumph looking back down the Champs D'Elysee |
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| The security line on New Years Eve that stretched the entire width of the Champs D'Elysee |
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NYE - Arc de Triumph
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| Nice to be back at our apt at midnight to celebrate... |
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| ....with this girl |
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| The Metro (subway) in St Michel |
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| Charlemagne and his slaves - outside Notre Dame |
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| The Seine as it overflows its banks - this is one of the only river cruises that can make it under the bridges |
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| The marchés (the markets) |
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The gardens at Versailles
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| The gates of Versailles |
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| Every king needs his emblem on a gate - this is Louis XV's (aka "The Sun King) on the gates of Versailles |
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| The interesting figures in the fountains at Versailles - there are turtles and alligators and frogmen (??) |
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| Neptune - outside Versailles |
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| Au Revoir Buddy A Bientôt |
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3 comments:
OK so I was pretty envious when you sailed across the Atlantic and visited Spain and then sailed to explore Ireland and England. Now you two take in Paris over Christmas with Kala. I'm impressed, still a bit envious (in a good way) and curious to see where you head next. Cruiser/explorer is a good moniker, fits you guys!
Thanks for sharing the awesome pics! They make North America look so youngish.
Safe travels to you guys!
Tess
We're just going in first so we can pass info on to you when you sail Ingomar to Europe. Big hugs to the three of you!
Wonderful. Thanks for taking us along.
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