Our first stop after unpacking our bags, and lunch at our hotel, was the Eiffel Tower. It is located on the "left bank" of the Seine River. The city is divided into two by the Seine; the left and right banks. It was a very windy day and we spent most of our time standing in the lines. There are only two elevators to the top. You have an option: walk/take the stairs to the second level and then an elevator to the top, OR take the elevator to the second and top levels. After standing in the lines, we decided to take the elevator to both levels. The view was foggy but you could see for miles. This is Alex and Andrew at the bottom before our treck up to the top.
Here we are at the top!
The next day, our first site was the Musee d'Orsay. I believe we all enjoyed this museum full of impressionist paintings and sculptures and both boys surprisingly recognized a few of them on their own! (VanGogh's bedroom, etc..) John and I agreed that some paintings were brighter in color than we had ever seen them in print, while others were saddly muddled and more subdued. The VanGogh's were incredibly clear and crisp with their thick brush strokes. This is outside the museum which is an old converted train station.
Our next site was the Cathedral Notre Dame. It is located on one of the islands in the middle of the Seine. Of course we had to go to the top of this one too. The staircase was narrow and circular and of course became a race to the top between the boys. There is a bell at the very top that is not used anymore, however the bells in the second tower do work and did chime 3:00 while we were up there! Inside, the cathedral is was dreadfully dark (didn't help there was no sunshine.) The rose window did provide some light and a moment for an architectural lesson or two for the boys. (and of course they hung onto our every word I might add - NOT!)
Friday we used our morning to find a great patisserie and cafe for breakfast which is pretty easy to do. Afterwards we rode the Metropolitan to the Cite des Sciences et de l'Industrie (on the right bank). It is the largest science museum in Europe. However, being that most of it was in French we were a bit lost at times. (However, we were happy to see an exhibit by Essilor-Aunt Steph's empoyer- describing (we think) the advancement in eyewear research.) Next it was off to the Louvre. Massive, crowded, and loud is how I would decribe it. Of course we had to go- however, we didn't stay long. We managed to see the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo which was our goal. Here is Andrew outside after our self-guided tour.
A walk down Av. Des Champs Elysees from the Louvre led us to a dinner of pizza and pasta and our last site for the day...the Arc de Tromphe. Napoleon ordered the arch's construction in 1809 as a monument to the triumph of his armies. It is 50m (164 feet) high and 45m (148 feet) wide.This picture was taken around 8 p.m. The walk to the top was more stairs (of course) but provided a great nightime view of the entire city. France's Unknown Soldier was buried here, and the annual Bastille Day military porcession begins here.
This picture was taken by John from the top of the Arc. At the top of every hour, for ten minutes, the Eiffel's lights flicker. It is really cool!
