Mary, Ginny and I were off to Paris for a long weekend. We took the Eurostar and we were all very impressed. Imagine getting on the train, taking a bit of a snooze, waking up in three hours and wala! You're in Paris. We stayed just outside Paris, in a residential area called Plaisance. The area was lovely, away from the hustle and bustle, so it was quiet, but it was only about a 10 minute metro ride into the center of town.
As soon as we got into Paris, we checked into our hotel and headed right up to the Eiffel Tower. The line was inbelievable! We waited nearly 3 hours! And it was freezing. Luckily I was telling jokes to keep Mary and Ginny happy. Somehow we almost got lost from each other - the girls always seemed to be on a different line then me. Were they trying to get away from me? Never!
Mary is LOVING the Eiffel Tower. Loving it!!!
Here is Mary and I on the top of the Eiffel Tower.
Here is Mary and Ginny in front of the Eiffel Tower. What a great shot!
We went for a stroll down the Champs-Élysées. Here is Mary in front of the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc de Triomphe is a monument in Paris that stands at the western end of the Champs-Élysées.
The Champs-Élysées is also called La plus belle avenue du monde, French for "The most beautiful avenue in the world." There are lots of shops on this avenue, some mighty expensive.....
We climbed 236 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. This would explain the tired look on Ginny and Mary's faces.
The Louvre museum (Musée du Louvre) is the largest museum in the world.
The museum is famous for holding several of the world's most prestigious works of art, such as Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, The Virgin and Child with St. Anne, Virgin of the Rocks and Alexandros of Antioch's Venus de Milo.
Here is a bistro right near our hotel. The first night we were in Paris, after a long, wet, cold evening waiting on line to go up the Eiffel Tower, we stopped in here to get dinner. We were pleasantly surprised with the delicious food, the wonderful waiters who didn't speak English but somehow managed to give us all a delicious meal that each of us loved, and made us feel welcome. Viva La France!
Mary and I in front of Notre Dame Cathedral. Notre Dame de Paris is French for Our Lady of Paris, meaning this Roman Catholic Church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Notre Dame de Paris is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.
Mary and I in front of the Moulin Rouge. We went on a fantastic walking tour of the Montmartre area of Paris and learning lots of new things. For instance, did you know that