Paris----Day 2

We have the subway system already figured out. It is really quite easy and everything is mapped out well. It is a great way to get around Paris....except it smells kind of funky down there. This morning we started our day with a bus tour that was a historical tour of the city.

Our tour group had many languages represented on our bus and two different guides spoke to us in English, Italian, German and Spanish. Our guide had a very heavy accent and we really had to listen carefully to understand him. The architecture of the buildings here is beautiful. I love all the balcony's.

We got off the bus at the Notre Dame cathedral. I have never seen anything quite like it. It was very interesting to learn about the history of the cathedral. It is sad that much had been destroyed during the Revoloution.

I couldn't believe the amount of detail work that was on the outside of Notre Dame. The foundation stone was laid in 1163 and craftsman worked for 170 years. It was magnificant.

This is the Portal of the Virgin. The splendid stone was carved in the

13th century. and shows the Virgin Mary's death and glorious coronation in Heaven.

Scott was really intrigued by the sculpture work and how they were able to do that so many years ago without modern technology.

The wooden door with the iron work was simply beautiful.

The twin towers are 226 feet high.

The stained glass windows were breathtaking. Millions of crystals put together to form the most beautiful windows I have ever seen. The rose windows are on the north, south, and west facades.

It was quite dark inside the cathedral. Not a lot of light can come through the stained glass windows.

We waited along the Seine River to catch a taxi boat back to our bus tour. One thing I have noticed is how fast the people walk here and yet the whole culture seems very relaxed and laid back. There are little parks everywhere and people out talking naps on the lawn of having picnics.

The Joan of Arc statue is where we meet our tour buses. It was hard to find....tucked away in a little section of the city called Pyramids....but once we found Joan we knew we were there.

We found a little crepe stand along the famous Champs Elysee. We had a chocolate and banana crepe that was so delicious. I told Scott he had to figure out how to make them....and I'm happy to report we bought a special pan when we got home and we had some crepes a few days ago. Delicious. Took me momentarily back to France.




The avenue is lined with high end shopping. A little to rich for my wallet. We found a shoe store with a pair of high heels that cost 2300Euros. Holy smokes......do you know how many pairs of shoes I could get at Payless for that price? Saw a rolex watch in a window for 28thousand Euros. The Louis Vutton store had a huge line outside. It is customary at the Paris store to not have more customers than sales people.....so you have to wait outside.

There was a rugby match in Paris this evening and fans walked up and down the avenue dressed in their teams colors....faces painted.....flags waiving....horns honking....and singing and chanting. It was fun to watch it all.

We headed up the avenue to see the Arc de Triomphe. Once again we were amazed at the intricate and beautiful architecture.

Construction of the 165 foot high arch began in 1809. It was to honor Napolean's soldiers. Today the Arc is dedicated to the glory of all French armies.

The interior of the arch was beautiful.

At the base of the arch is the eternal flame that burns over the tomb of the unknown soldier. There were fresh wreaths at the tomb. There was a military ceremony that was getting underway as we were leaving the arch. I got a giggle out of the fact that it was the mens uniforms that had the furry red top not instead of the womens.

It got windy and rainy so we headed back towards our hotel. We had dinner at a little cafe close by. We stopped by the bakery and got another french pastry. Wow.....the french know how to bake. The desserts are mouth watering. The eifell tower was beautiful from our balcony this evening. As the sun began to set I stood and looked at it. I got a little emotional as I thought of my dad walking up and down these same streets as he preached the gospel on his mission so many years before. And I thought of how many times he had looked at the eifell tower as he brought his french classes over here. I missed him terribly that night. Wished he were alive to call and tell him everything I had seen. Oh how he loved Paris.