Arc de Triumph and Champs Elysees

Well - after a week of being on the go, go, go every day. Today we woke up and just relaxed (OK, the kids slept in...) We didn't get back to Notre Dame till after noon... sleepyheads!

Ryan wanted to climb the West Ramparts and see the bells - A bit of Quasimodo in him I guess.

The weather was cold and rainy - so we were so glad we got Versailles in yesterday. Plus on Saturday - today - there were many many more people out and about.

A quick Metro ride over to the Arc de Triumph and we were catching our last 'big thing' we wanted to see. Since today was 'D-Day' - there were lots of old French soldiers in their suits with all their medals on their chests doing a D-Day observance at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the base of the Arch. Another HUGE French monument...

Then we walked down the Champs Elysees - looking at all the shops, the rugby team fans dressed in their team colors, and enjoying the walking and the shopping.

The Louis Vitton shop actually had a queue and folks were lined up just to get in to shop for over priced bags!

Jill, Ryan and Alysha liked their shopping and bought stuff from Paris shops.

We walked from the Arc down to the Concode plaza right down the avenue - ending in the Louvre. One famous, and very large street!

Then back late to the hotel just in time to do laundry to get ready for next week in London.

Mom Strutting...
Just for you Karrissa...
Trying to get warm on a cold summer day in Paris
Top of Notre Dame looking back toward the Eiffel Tower
Ryan and Jill at the 'Big Bell'
The Arc de Triumph
Yes, we were there!
Just to prove we were on the right street
Ready to walk down the Avenue
Alysha wanted a picture of the Louis Vuitton storefront
People were queuing up just to get in to buy overpriced stuff
Of course they had to shop here as well...
From about 1/2 way down the Avenue looking toward the Concode
A shot of the Concorde Obelisk with the Domed Church in the Background

Versailles

Today we only accomplished one thing... but oh what a thing it was!

We took two metro subway trains, then a French National Train out to the Versailles Palace.I now really understand *why* there was a French Revolution... This place was way too much! What a HUGE waste of the French national resources. This 'palace' held more than 20,000 people. The King and Queen of course, but also an entire 'court' of french nobility, courtiers, administrators, cooks, cleaners, seamstresses, etc. All supported just to give the King a nice place to hold court. (one of many palaces actually)

A lot of history was here. From Ben Franklin's introduction to the court as the ambassador from the new United States, to where they mob's carried away and beheaded Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, to where the Treaty ending World War I was signed. All happened here.

The palace is huge, monster-sized courtyards coming up to the building, and then huge long wings. This was the largest palace EVER! - yep Ever!

On top of the palace, the surrounding gardens are even more immense! The maps and drawings of the gardens make it look like it is all gardens with low plants. And some of them are, but a vast majority is just huge tracks of land with planted trees. Groups of the same tree lined up in long rows. With roads and paths in between. In the center is a large man-made lake called the Grand Canal is over a mile long - in two directions. It's shaped like a large cross.

Even from this monstrosity of a palace the King wanted to 'get away' from the hectic life of court, and so built other smaller palaces, one for himself and his mistresses, and another for the Marie Antoinette.

The 'over-the-top' ostentatious and overly decorated rooms were way too much for me. Each room had a 'theme' as well as custom works of art, custom wall coverings, custom flooring, and everything was way expensive. Artwork and statues were everywhere! On top of roofs, scattered around the gardens, down walkways, in gardens, ponds, and fountains.

We walked around a lot of the palace and gardens, including the Trianon's - but then Jill, Ryan and Alysha followed Ryan's lead and walked around the ENTIRE GRAND CANAL!

I got in 18,500 steps today, they must have been up around 23,000.
So here come the pictures:

Still a little tired as we start on our journey 'My Girls' getting ready for a day of sightseeing Karrissa, you and your two kids are also 'My Girls' Alysha getting silly on the train Yes, we arrived at the palace! Ryan playing 'tourist' listening to the Audio Recording about Versailles

The 'Chapel' a private little chapel - King and his family upstairs, everyone else downstairs Sample room - one of many stately rooms fully decorated Statues and artwork were everywhere Sample painting of a single ceiling... all the ceilings were like this! Hall of Mirrors - a football field sized room for state functions with 17 facing windows facing the garden Ryan being 'artistic' with the camera in the Hall of Mirrors View from Hall of Mirrors across garden area - end of water over a mile away One of the 'side gardens' not even the main garden In the Hall of Princes - Ryan and Alysha had fun with the camera And I thought she was smiling for the photo So did Jill Didn't even know she was behind me I thought all the gardens were like this one Alysha, just happy to be there The 'Orangery' garden for growing oranges Yep - were are all at Versailles! Looking over the main garden area Kids having fun
Jill and Alysha walking on paths between trees
View from the center 'cross' part of the Grand Canal back to Palace Ryan, Alysha and Jill made it to the end of the Grand Canal It looks much closer with the big zoom lens on my Nikon Resting after a long day in Versailles Kids zonked on the train ride home

Eiffel Tower

The last thing we accomplished today was the Eiffel Tower. There are way to many "firsts" and "largest" and the like statistics about the Eiffel Tower. In the stairwell leading down from the 2nd floor (43 floors above the ground) there are statistics and factoids about the tower. (something to take your mind off the pain of walking down over 660 steps...)

There was a short line for the stairs going up.... 1666 steps. We opted for the long line to ride the elevators up.

The Eiffel Tower was originally conceived for the Universal Exhibition of 1889 - and was supposed to be up for only 7 years. But the Parisians fell in love with their new icon and it's still here today.

The top is over 1000 feet in the air, weighs more than 10,100 tons, and needs over 60 tons of paint to keep the metal from rusting.

I'd been 'near' the Eiffel Tower in the past when I was in Paris... but never this close. This thing is HUGE! It must have really been impressive back when it was first built.

After wandering around the top (that is after waiting for hours in lines) we took pictures and enjoyed the views. Rather than wait for another line to take the elevators down... we opted to take the stairs.

Today was only 12,000 steps... less than half of yesterday... but still adding up to over 24 miles walked the last two and a half days here. Yes, my legs are aching and feet sore. But we're in Paris baby!

Tomorrow we'll be heading out to Versailles to see the gardens and palaces there. I fear it will include more walking - where is the Segway tour when you need one. ;-)

Photos from the Eiffel Tower

Coming up to the Eiffel Tower from the Batobus Boat on the Seine

Looking up from the base

The base of this thing is HUGE!

Why they need to repaint the metal every seven years

The Louvre from the Top of Eiffel Tower

Kids hanging out from the top - 1000' above Paris

View of Sacre Cour from the Eiffel Tower - only fair to look back