Paris - The City of Love and the 2024 Olympics

We arrived in Paris on Sunday September 15 mid afternoon. We took the train into the city as our hotel was close to the  station where we had to catch the train to St Jean Pied de Port on Tuesday morning.  We arrived at our station but we couldn't find our way out. We kept following the Sortie signs and going up but couldn't figure out how to get out of the train station until Roz looked up and said I see light. We made it out of the station obviously and found where we needed to go to catch our train in two days. 
We decided that one day in Paris required a hop on hop off bus. Roz wasn't feeling up to snuff so we figured that would be the easiest. Roz's comment is always Cindy take a lot of pictures.
Our train into the city centre brought us a couple of blocks from the Effiel Tower. Such an amazing structure. I didn't mention but in Prague there is a 1/5 Effiel Tower that was placed on a hill to make it the same height as the one in Paris. See it peaking it out on the hill.I put this picture in here because i have noticed how big a city can be. I think we in North America have no idea what a big city is and how densely populated they are. There are rows upon rows of apartments everywhere going down side streets, radiating out from traffic circles. And I mean everywhere. All the way in from the airport and that was a long way. London was very similar until you got out to the boroughs and then it was rows upon rows of connected houses.
Of course Macdonalds is everywhere but this one was particularly fancy.
We squeezed our bus through this little tunnel into the Louvre. I could reach out and touch the wall.
The Louvre museum. Did you know that the museum is actually in the Louvre palace. It was originally a medieval fortress but urban expansion reduced its defence capabilities. In 1546, Frances I made it a royal palace. In 1682 Louis XIV moved to Versailles and the Louvre became a place to show the royal collection. The revolution is what turned it into a museum. It is huge. A lot of the exhibits are under ground but many collections etc. are in the buildings.
The carvings are impressive.
 Each side  has one or two of these entrances and the in between walls have are all kinds of statues of different people in history. I only recognized a few. Descartes and Voltaire. Immensely beautful.
So this a where is Roz photo. Think pink. This is when she started to feel unwell.
Napoleon's  arch is all carved inside and out.
The Olympic Flame. They were dismantling it and many other sites around the city.
L'Arc de Triumph
Check out this building. It is in the shape of a Louis Vitton suitcase. There is a whole district in Paris dedicated to fashion. Streets and streets of famous names and fancy salons. Needless to say I don't think there were any Camino clothes for sale there.
This flame was given to France in return for the Statue of liberty. It is an exact replica of the Statue's flame. It has become the unoffical memorial to Princess Diana as she was killed in the tunnel below the flame.
Notre Dame Cathedral.  You still can't visit after the 2019 fire. They are hoping to have it open at the end of 2024. 


This Isle St Louis. It is where the rich and famous live. An island on the Seine in Paris. We were told one of these places sold last year for over 200 million euros.
The obelisk from Luxor Egypt.
The Olympics are over but we saw lots of sights where they were held. Where Celine Dion and  Lady Gaga sang. And for now the Olympic rings remain on the Effiel tower.
Next stop St Jean Pied de Port and The Camino de Santiago.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bratislava

Image
The most photograghed statue in Bratislava. Cumil known as "The Man at Work" or "The Watcher". Rumour has it that he is a sewer worker who is taking a rest or who is looking up the ladies skirts. He was right across the street from our apartment. There is so much graffiti in Bratislava. It is a shame as it is on the ancient as well as newer walls. We arrived early before our apartment was ready so we went for food. Roz has introduced me to homemade lemonade.  Around the corner from our place was a pirate candy store. So many types of candy. Even Lego bricks. The entrance hall to our apartment. Roz done qvlgood finding this one. It is right in the heart of old town. Beautiful staircase to the upper floors. Hi Wes. We are on the 3rd floor. Looking out the living room window in our apartment. There is a courtyard between us and the set of apartments on the adjacent street. ...
Read more

SOS On Another Adventure

Image
So like two young carefree adults, Ed and I are setting out on a new adventure. The SOS team, Roz and myself, have decided to add two addtions to our team. Our husbands, Ed and Wes. Roz and Wes have been in Europe for several weeks already, enjoying their obsession with curling and bonspieling in the most amazing places. We are meeting them in London at Victoria station to continue on the journey with them. I am hoping all the tricks I learned last year from Roz will help me navigate getting to the train to take us to Victoria Station. Unlike when we were young and backpacking now technology makes things so much easier. Early morning start at Departure Bay. Of course on our flight, Ed found a young mom with a baby and gave her some relief by holding on to a baby who just wanted to move and won't have a nap. We ended up having a bunch of people passing little Rowan around and mom was able to have some adult conversation. No sleep on the plane. We ...
Read more

Porthmadog to Caernarfon

Image
After, William Madocks constructed the 1.6 kms seawall, now known as The Cob, he inadvertently formed a natural harbour. It did not take him long to realize the potential of the channel. Porthmadog was built to house the port workers but also the flourishing shipbuilding trade. Between 1830-1913 over 300 ships were built here. With the harbour, came the need to replace horse-drawn slate cars bringing slate from mines and quarries in the mountains to the wharves in Porthmadog to be shipped around the world. A narrow-gauge railway was built called the Ffestiniog Railway that was fed by various tramlines from the quarries. Still later the Welsh Highland Railway was added. We took a ride on this section of railway. Cenotaph across from our accommodations in Porthmadog. The mountains behind our accommodations. The Garth Calvanistic Methodist Chapel that is abandoned then slated for apartment conversion but is now an eyesore. It is a lovely buildin...
Read more