One day in Paris

Sometimes when you travel you end up with an extended layover in an unexpected place. We always try to make the most of these moments and, rather than try to see everything, we pick one or two things we’d love to see or do there. Joel says “we’re just dipping our toe in”. And he reminds me we can always come back.

This happened to us recently when, at the end of a trip to Europe, we found a great deal flying home from Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport. Paris wasn’t even on our radar for this trip, but, we were lucky enough to have one full day in Paris before we had to catch our flight home.

We arrived in Paris through one of the main train stations in the heart of the city – Gare de Lyon.

Since time was limited, we picked our two “must-do” things for our day here – 1) see the Eifel Tower, and, 2) see the Arc de Triomphe. We also decided we wanted to enjoy a croissant and coffee in a cafe, because, well, it’s Paris! All very touristy, but, hey, we were only here for a day and wanted to have some fun before we left Europe. Also, we wanted to see if we liked Paris enough to come back someday (Spoiler alert, we did! We will definitely be back to explore this amazing city. Though probably not in the middle of summer – a bit too warm and a few too many people!)

We woke up early in the morning and strolled the short 20-minute trek from our hotel up to the Arc de Triomphe.

“The Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile (translation: Arch of Triumph of the Star), often simply called the Arc de Triomphe, is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France…located on the right bank of the Seine at the centre of a dodecagonal configuration of twelve radiating avenues.” – Wikipedia

Along the way we read some random/interesting facts about this landmark –

• It was commissioned in 1806, after the victory at Austerlitz by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, but it was not completed until 1836, long after his death.
• Just laying the foundations took two years.
• Its design is based on the Roman Arch of Titus (I didn’t know what this was, if you don’t either, I linked to a picture for you). 
• It is a national symbol and a site of major commemorations, including the annual July 14 military parade.

“Due to heavy traffic on the roundabout of which the Arc is the centre, pedestrians use two underpasses accessible from the Champs-Élysées and the Grande Armée avenues.” – Wikipedia

Beneath the Arc is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I.

While we didn’t go in, “A spiral stairway with 240 steps leads visitors to the museum level in the attic of the monument, where large models of the Arc and interactive exhibits on its history, construction, and cultural significance are displayed. Another 40 steps lead to the rooftop terrace, offering a panoramic view of Paris. Elevators providing access to the museum and rooftop terrace are available.” – Wikipedia

After taking so many photos that my phone began to beg for mercy, we headed over to the Eiffel Tower. Along the way there were some interesting, and completely unexpected, sights.

I have since learned that there is another Louis Vuitton store in New York City, and it also looks like a trunk, actually, many trunks stacked on top of each other. Here is a picture of the NY City store that I found online.

We walked through a few neighborhoods on the way to the Eiffel Tower and fell in love with the architecture of this city.

When we had almost reached the Seine river, we stumbled upon a replica of the flame from New York City’s Stature of Liberty. “It was offered to Paris in 1989 by the International Herald Tribune on behalf of donors who had contributed approximately $400,000 for its fabrication. It represented the culmination of that newspaper’s 1987 celebration of its hundredth anniversary of publishing an English-language daily newspaper in Paris. More importantly, the Flame was a token of thanks for the restoration work on the Statue of Liberty accomplished three years earlier by two French businesses…more broadly, it is a lasting symbol of the friendship uniting the two countries, just as the statue itself was when it was given to the United States by France.” – Wikipedia

A few interesting/random facts we’ve learned about the Eiffel Tower:

• It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889.
• Locally nicknamed “La dame de fer” (French for “Iron Lady”)
• It was constructed as the centrepiece of the 1889 World’s Fair, and to crown the centennial anniversary of the French Revolution.

• The tower is 330 metres (1,083 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-story building, and the tallest structure in Paris.
• During its construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to become by far the tallest human-made structure in the world, a title it held for 41 years until the Chrysler Building in New York City was finished in 1930.
• It has become one of the most recognisable structures in the world. And, it is the most visited monument (with an entrance fee) in the world.

“The tower has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second levels. The top level’s upper platform is 276 m (906 ft) above the ground—the highest public observation deck in the European Union. Tickets can be purchased to ascend by stairs or lift to the first and second levels.” – Wikipedia

About that entrance fee – We were given a tip by Eiffel Tower employees when we stepped into line: You can bypass the ticket line and enter without paying a fee if you enter to see the gardens. You can still walk all around, and under, the Eiffel Tower. However, if you want to go up to any of the other levels you will need to pay the entrance fee.

“…large Olympic rings were installed on the Eiffel Tower for the Paris 2024 Olympics. A separate, temporary set of Olympic rings was also installed on the Pont d’Iéna, a bridge that connects the Eiffel Tower to the Trocadéro area. These were placed in preparation for the Games, but it is not clear how long the bridge display will remain.” – AI Overview

Across from the Eiffel Tower in Paris is the Trocadéro area, which includes the Palais de Chaillot and its surrounding gardens and fountains. This location is famous for providing some of the most iconic and unobstructed views of the Eiffel Tower.

We flew home through Washington, D.C., to visit with my Uncle Gene and Aunt June. While there they told us they wanted to give us one of Gene’s paintings (we both think he is an amazing painter). They told us to feel free to pick one of his paintings off the wall. We were so excited! It took us several days to finally decide on this one from one of their trips to Paris.