Quintessential Paris

Wednesday was our first day to really go see all the famous Paris sites.  I had HUGE plans for all we were going to see.  I always plan way too much and forget that sometimes just getting around a city can take a lot of time.  We decided to take buses yesterday, instead of the Metro. We thought it would be a good way to see more of Paris, traveling above the ground, seeing the streets instead of passing beneath them. It was a good way to see Paris, but it was a slow way to see Paris with all of the traffic that was out yesterday.  It was a warm, almost hot, sunny day, and the crowds were enormous.

Our first stop was the Arc de Triomphe.

Next we went to the Eiffel Tower.

Ice cream at the Eiffel Tower:

I really did not picture how enormous the Eiffel Tower was until I stood beneath it.

Greg perusing the bookstands along the Seine.

Point Zero, the center of Paris, where the city started, and the point from which all distances are measured.

Point Zero is in the square in front of Notre Dame cathedral.

I love the gargoyles!

Portal of the Last Judgement (center portal):

North rose window--this window has the most original glass of the windows:

Greg and I in front of Notre Dame.  

I really enjoyed the day, and seeing Notre Dame after reading Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame really put the book and its descriptions into perspective.  I could just see Quasimodo stalking over the rooftops and gazing over the city or grabbing Esmeralda from the square and whisking her within the church for sanctuary.  We didn't have time to climb the towers, which is something I hope we can come back to do before the trip is over.

We didn't get to everything I hoped during the day, but it was a full day nonetheless.

Finally a quick video of the Eiffel Tower from the room with sounds from the streets surrounding us.