Paris, France

Photo highlites, top to bottom:

Children at Eiffel Tower

Children at Mona Lisa, the Louvre

Notre Dame Cathedral

Arch de Triomphe

Eurostar train

Paris in Paris, at the Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower, and vistas

Outside the Louvre

Children outside the Louvre

More outside the Louvre

Inside the Louvre

Mona Lisa

Venus de Milo

Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss

Outside Notre Dame

Notre Dame Sculptures

Inside Notre Dame

St. Joan of Arc

Eiffel Tower at Night

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We went on a great trip to 2 of the world's greatest cities, Paris and London. We flew to Paris for 3 days then took the Eurostar fast train to London, under the English channel. We spent 3 days there, as well. This blog will cover the Paris part of our journey. Because Paris is incredibly photogenic, I have split the photos on to two blogs. The second Paris blog (Paris, France- part 2) is strictly additional photos.

We drove to Galway, parked the car, and took a bus to Shannon, a couple of hours south. The main road was tedious ( I almost got carsick, sitting in the back of the bus, which went thru numerous roundabouts!) so the kids had loaded up their Kindles, which worked great. The airport is not very busy (vs. Charles de Gal and Heathrow), and it was a quick flight over to Paris. We got a smile from the stoic French customs officer when he saw our daughter Paris Sanders passport. This was a special trip for her!

We stayed at a nice hotel, in Montparnasse,near the city center. Right across the street was the subway, our main mode of transportation, easy to use. The next morning we took off to see the Eiffel tower, a sight to behold. We had advance tickets, so we avoided a long cue. The kids were quite impressed, as we rode up to the mid level, in the glass elevator. The views were fantastic, even if the sun was not out. It was cold, but worth it. We could see the Seine nearby, which bisects the city. Also the Arc De Triumph, and Notre Dame cathedral. We ate breakfast (fresh pastries, of course) in the Eiffel restaurant, then took the elevator back down. We were immediately hit up by the illegal vendors, hawking miniature Eiffel Tower versions, for what ever price you would pay. Summer learned a lesson, buying some at 2 for a euro, later to see them at stores at six for a euro. These street vendors are unlicensed, and as we saw in Spain, they can pick up their blanket with their wares in about 2 seconds, and be on a dead run, when the police (in this case in stealth mode on bicycles) are seen. One vendor was cornered, as the others watched sadly form a safe distance. There is comrade amongst these street hawkers.

We had a typical French lunch, fresh French bread and ham or cheese (what cheese!) in baguettes. The waiters are quite perfunctory. One lunch, the guy left and returned twice as we ordered, as we were to slow for him. As expected, the meals were stellar.

A highlight of Paris was the Notre Dame Cathedral. Notre Dame in French means "Our lady of Paris". The incredible grandeur of the Gothic interior was breath taking. The stained glass windows (removed during WWII for safekeeping), the galleries, the whole atmosphere was enough to make someone get religion. This cathedral was constructed starting in 1163, and contains an organ with 7,800 pipes. The 13 ton bell rang when Paris was liberated in 1944. There was a statue of Joan of Arc, who was burned at the stake at age 19, in 1431, that the kids appreciated seeing. She was condemned as a witch in life, later to be declared innocent.

We visited the Louvre, targeting the Mona Lisa, amongst the 35,000 paintings. We also saw another Rembrandt, for good company. The children studied the eyes of Mona Lisa, to see if they followed you across the room. Apparently Paris was so mesmerized, she forgot her glasses there, which subsequently required a taxi ride back to the Louvre, where they were recovered. Other highlites included Venus de Milo (Apheodite) from 100 B.C. ans Psyche revived by Cupid's Kiss.

The exterior of the Louvre was as interesting as the interior, with the myriad statues built into the walls, and the great walls and the glass pyramid. This was the only place we saw a few military patrolling, with impressive weapons, as Europe has been on heightened alert for terrorism. Most of the anti-terrorist activities are invisible. The Louvre is located on the banks of the Seine, and it was built in the 12th century. Napoleon contributed to the collection, via his exploits.

We left the Louvre, and headed to the Mu see d' Or say. a walk down the Seine. This museum is known for the Impressionists, and we were not disappointed. Lots of Gauguin, and Van Gogh, two of my favorites. Also Cezanne, Monet, and Renoir were well represented, in a very relaxing, open space environment.

We took the open top bus tour, to see the major Paris attractions. I stood most the time, on the open 2nd level, taking photos. It was cold, but worth the effort. The next day, I was quite stiff, due to balancing while the bus careened around the streets of Paris. The rest of the Sanders stayed in the warm interior. We saw places where the guillotine was frequently utilized, in the past.

We viewed the Eiffel, the Champ De Mars (the building with Napoleon's tomb, which I vividly recall seeing at age 14), Notre Dame, and Champs Elysees, which the allied troops paraded down, to the Arc De Triumph, which was built by Napoleon, to celebrate his victories.

We left Paris by the Euro star train, which is a high speed train between Paris and London.

The train averages over 100 mph, peaking at 186 mph. The 2.5 hour trip goes under the English Channel, in a 31 mile long tunnel. I put away my camera for the trip. London calling.

Please see Paris, part 2 for more photos (pending posting)