More Paris
We had one last dinner with Dennis and Andrea before they headed back to the States. It was so nice to travel with them as they have been to Paris multiple times and were able to take us around so we were comfortable by the time they left.
Built in the 17th century, with foundations from the 12th century, the Eglise Saint-Sulpice is one of the biggest churches in Paris. It was featured in the book and movie, The Da Vinci Code, for its obelisk, part of a gnomon, a device used to determine the exact time and the equinoxes.
The Montparnasse Tower Observation Deck offers an exceptional panoramic view of the whole city of Paris! This unique view point, which overlooks Paris from a height of 200 meters, offers a 360° view of the capital, with a stunning 25 miles of visibility on clear days.
The thousands of love locks or Cadenas d'Amour tied to the parapets on the bridges of Paris were for a while the new iconic image of Paris Romantique! The first love locks indeed appeared in the city in 2008. Parisians and foreign visitors wrote their names with a love message and the date on a padlock. They then tied it to the parapets' fences and threw the key into the Seine, sealing their love forever.
The Tuileries Gardens get their name from the tile factories which previously stood on the site where Queen Catherine de Medici built the Palais des Tuileries in 1564. The famous gardener of King Louis XIV, André Le Nôtre, re-landscaped the gardens in 1664 to give them their current French formal garden style. The gardens, which separate the Louvre from the Place de la Concorde, are a cultural walking place for Parisians and tourists where Maillol statues stand alongside those of Rodin or Giacometti.
A unique panoramic view over the Champs Élysées, the most beautiful avenue in the world. In 1806, Napoleon I ordered the construction of the Arc de Triomphe to honor the Grande Armée. Inspired by the arches in Antiquity, this iconic monument carries the illustrious names of the nation and houses the tomb of the unknown soldier, for whom the flame is lit every evening. The layout makes for a thorough understanding of the monument’s history and its national and international symbolic importance.
The Eiffel Tower It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Constructed from 1887–89 as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair, it was initially criticized by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design, but it has become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world.
We visited it both during the day and at night. For the nighttime visit we took the metro (subway) which was an experience in and of itself.
The most notable tomb at Les Invalides is that of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821). Napoleon was initially interred on Saint Helena, but King Louis Philippe arranged for his remains to be brought to France in 1840.
Gary's new favorite food - mussels.
