More on Paris

Ah Paris, what can I say, we loved it, the French sure know how to dress, the fashions are very fun here and funky at the same time, i feel completely underdressed in my runners and jeans. I love that you see people kissing each other on both cheeks as they meet, when they say Bonjour or Bonsiour it sounds like they are singing it so they always seem happy, to me anyway.

Did you know that underground under the Louvre is a massive shopping centre that runs under the Champs-Elysees ,its huge, things are expensive here so you have to watch your pennies.

Paris is laid out like an octopus, there is the core where the Arc De Triomphe is and then out from there are loads of tentacles (roads) that lead to another outer circle, once you figure it out its easy to get around but at first we felt a bit confused. The buildings are very close together and huge like 7 stories high or more so its hard to get your bearings at first. There are bakeries on every corner where you can get your baguettes and delicious pastries from, the French are really good at making pastries too, i don’t know how they stay so skinny i think it must be in their genes, bummer wish I had those genes!

My only pet peeve with France is all the smokers

As you can see we had great fun in Paris, we found the people warm and friendly and patient with our lousy French! One waitress told Trevor to ask in French so he tried and she still couldn’t get it so he got out his Iphone and showed her the app with the French translator in it and she thought that was so cool she went and got her Iphone too!!!

A quick visit to the Arc de Triomphe and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, commissioned in 1806 to celebrate the victories of the Great Army, it was completed in 1836. Its huge proportions – 50 metres high and 45 wide are decorated by Cortot and Etx, along with Rudes famous Marseillaise. Described by Victor Hugo as “a heap of glory” the arch became a national symbol. A flame is rekindled each evening at 6:30pm and the inscription “Here lies a French Soldier, who died for his country” is written on the tomb of an unknown soldier laid to rest here in 1921 – wow.

We lined up for the Notre Dame de Paris but were turned away after 1 hour as it was Sunday and they had services going on so bummer didn’t get to go inside but it was still cool to see the exterior and here the church service going on. There is a bronze star in front of the Cathedral inscribed “zero kilometre” which indicates the centre of the country in terms of travelling distances. A symbol of Gothic art this cathedral has witnessed Saint Louis, barefoot, wearing the Crown of Thorns in 1239, the coronation of Napoleon in 1804, the celebration of the Liberation of Paris in 1944 and all of us as we enter its doors today! (well not us this time!) There sits at the very top some fabulous gargoyles that are watching over the city to keep the evils out!!

One thing I loved, when we came down the Eiffel Tower at sunset, was to walk along the grass area of the Champ de Mars under the Eiffel Tower and to see hundreds of people, sitting with their families, friends on blankets with their champagne/wine and picknics waiting till dark for the twinkly lights to come on as they do every evening, there was also a guitar player playing and singing John Lennons song, Imagine - only in Paris, it was a beautiful warm night too.