To begin our day in Paris, we stopped at our first hostel (le village) in Montmartre. This quarter of the city is located in the north, in the 18th arrondissement (or district). We had an amazing view of the beautiful Sacre Coeur (or Sacred Heart Basilica) from our 5th story window. We had a nice lunch looking up at the church, each having a yummy French delight (croque monsieur, nutella crepe, and panini). This area is famous for its large artist community (Picasso lived and painted here) and continues to have a little square of artists painting and selling their work.
Next we traveled by metro to the Arc de Triomphe, situated at the top of the Champs Elysees. The arch was commissioned by Napoleon after the victory at Austerlitz in 1806. The arch honors those who fought in the French Revolution and in the Napoleonic Wars, with the names of French victories and generals inscribed on the surface. The arch is the centerpiece of a rather daunting traffic circle with exits shooting out on all sides like a star. To get underneath the arch, one must go through the underground tunnel. It doesn't cost anything to walk around under the arch, but does cost to go up to the top. The Champs Elysees is a very swanky avenue that extends from the arch to the Place de la Concorde. We walked all the way down, passing such stores as Louis Vuitton, Swavorski, and Cartier. There is also a huge McDonald's, which is where we took a pit stop to go potty!
At the center of Place de la Concorde is the Obelisque de Louxor, or the Luxor Obelisk. The Egyptian obelisk was "given" to the French, and later placed where a famous guillotine used to be located during the French Revolution. (During the Revolution, this place was renamed Place de la Revolution. Marie Antoinette was guillotined here in front of cheering crowds.) The obelisk is decorated with hieroglyphics and a detailed drawing of how the obelisk was transferred to France in 1833. At the Place de la Concorde, you can see the Champs Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and the Jardins des Tuileries which extends off to the other side of the obelisk.
We walked through the Tuileries Gardens and took a little break/nap at one of the large fountains. The gardens were originally created by none other than Catherine de Medicis in 1559 after the death of Henri II (her husband). After the French Revolution, the gardens became a public park, and has continued to be a meeting place for Parisians and tourists alike. The gardens play host to many out door art exhibits and statues. This time around, there was a tree located in one of the fountains and an American Flag depicted on ladders.
Walking from the Place de la Concorde and through the Tuileries Gardens, you eventually lead up to the Louvre. The Louvre is a gigantic building. It was originally built as a fortress in the 12th century, but was frequently altered throughout the Middle Ages. Francois I acquired the Mona Lisa, one of the focal points of the museum, and over time the palace went from fortress to royal residence, to private museum, to public museum after the French Revolution. The glass pyramid and inverted pyramid were completed in the late 80's, early 1990's. We didn't visit the museum this time around, but did go downstairs to the Carousel du Louvre, small underground mall with the inverted pyramid (you don't have to wait in line to see this or pay money!).
From here we walked down the Seine to the ile de la cite, or the island of the city to find the Notre Dame Cathedral. The cathedral was built between 1160 and 1345 and is one of the best examples of the French Gothic styles of architecture. The cathedral really is something to see- huge, beautiful towers, amazing gargoyle and saints decorating the surfaces, the flying buttresses, and the gorgeous stain glass windows. The church has a fascinating history, which I won't go into now... but although it may be touristy, it is a "Paris must-see."
No comments:
Post a Comment