We arrived in Paris with a 4th of July bang! After getting settled, we set out to explore. We decided immediately to master the Metro. We hopped on and got off at Champs-Elysees to see the Arc de Triomphe. It's huge! The friezes are so detailed and beautiful. This will definitely be some further reading. We took the tunnel under the busy road and then climbed the 284 steps to the top. Well worth it. The views were great in all directions and you really get a sense how the streets in the area radiate out. http://www.arcdetriompheparis.com/
We then meandered our way through some charming neighborhoods on our way to the Eiffel Tower. Love the architectural details on the buildings here. I started really paying attention to the window or balcony iron rails and there never seemed to be a repeat of those intricate designs!
Luck has been with us this trip and we have not encountered any of the long lines we had been warned about. It continued today and we had tickets and within thirty minutes we were on our way up! Sadly we could only climb up to the second level (over 600,steps!) as the top level was closed. The structure is much more impressive up close because honestly--on the first glimpse it looks out of place among the harmonious architecture of Paris. Oh alright--also excepting that big black building in the middle of the city. What is that?!
We walked along the Trocodero across the way and saw the Eiffel Tower cast gold by the sun. So many people taking selfies with the selfie sticks. Will be glad when that goes out of style! We stopped to watch some of the street hawkers offering bets on ball and cups games. Lots of money being moved around. We had fun guessing the winning cup (no bets though), trying to identify the "plant," and watching closely for a sleight of hand. These games were going on every five feet!
Back on the Metro with a ride out to La Defense. This is the financial district at the far end of the city. The Grande Arch constructed here made a wind tunnel. Since then, a giant canopy has been constructed to cut down on the wind and at the top of the stairs (yes even more on this day!) are glass panels that were also put up to help. The breeze was refreshing after all our walking. We ended up having fast food for dinner (Gasp! In Paris?!) a rarity in any case, but most enjoyable as we all sat companionably laughing and joking around. A terrific ending for a first busy day in Paris!
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