Sightseeing - Saturday

Saturday was a very busy day for sightseeing. Most Temple students hit multiple spots around the city and tried to catch any last sights they missed during the week. I had quite an ambitious day planned and was eventually able to hit all of my targeted spots.

The day started with a visit to the Catacombs of Paris. The Catacombs were created in the 18th century because Paris was running out of burial grounds and needed a large scale place to house the remains. After walking down a long spiral stair case y0u enter this underground passage way. You follow the passage way for about 500 meters and are suddenly surrounded by human skulls and bones. It's not nearly as creepy as it sounds and is quite intriguing.

After the Catacombs it was off to Jardin du Luxembourg, the largest public park in the city. The garden is huge and a favorite spot for local joggers.

Next up was a short walk back to Notre Dame and it's neighbor on the island, Sainte-Chapelle. I had visited Notre Dame on Sunday but was unable to get pictures at that time. I stopped back to snap a few pictures before making the trip to Sainte-Chapelle. Sainte-Chappele has many large stained glass windows that depict the entire story of the bible. The chapel also hosted the Crown of Thorns and a piece of the Cross before they were dispersed after the French Revolution. The chapel was very small but so incredibly beautiful. The light coming through the stained glass and the extensive detail of the windows was just so neat to see.

After Sainte-Chapelle, it was up the Seine to the Musée d'Orsay. Along the river are small little stands called "quais." Think of a flea market or yard sale stand. A lot of old books and pictures/copies of famous Paris scenes or works of art. A lot of my classmates raved about the Musée d'Orsay, which has a large collection of impressionist art. The big draw was a showing of the Picasso/Manet Luncheon on the Grass paintings. I wasn't overly excited about d'Orsay, especially compared to the Louvre, but I am glad I was able to visit there.

Next I headed across the river to vist Musée de l'Orangerie on the recommendation of a classmate. The Musée de l'Orangerie is home to Monet's Nympheas (water lillies) paintings. There are 2 very large rooms, each with 4 paintings that surround the rooms. You can't tell where one painting begins or ends. The whole setup is really neat and worth seeing if you're ever in Paris.

The final leg of my Saturday journey led up the Avenue des Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe and out to the Grande Arche. Along the Champs-Élysées there are many small booths setup for the Christmas holiday. Each booth represents one of the countries in the EU and sells products or food that are popular in that country. Think of the boardwalk but in Paris during Christmas time. A little further up the Champs-Élysées you will find a bunch of high end stores, and at 5 PM on Saturday, a zillion people. Maybe 2 zillion. Then comes the Arc de Triomphe which is a monument to those who fought for France during the various wars. The Arc also contains the Tomb of the Unknown Solider from WWI. Standing next to the Arc is a very cool feeling. The monument is huge and located in amongst a circle of swirling traffic. Two gigantic flags swirl above the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier. A very epic feeling.

So the Louvre, Champs-Élysées, and Arc de Triomphe sit along an imaginary line that extends out to the Grande Arche. This was my last tourist stop of the day and I happened to get there just after nightfall. The monument is HUMONGOUS! I think the Arc de Triomphe could sit inside this square shaped monument. The Arch sits amongst some of Paris's skyscrapers and lends a great element to the skyline.

Here are pictures of the day's travels.

Back to the hotel for a quick shower before my last dinner in Paris. A few of us decided to visit Le Dome, which is considered the best seafood restaurant in Paris. I'm not much of a seafood guy but wanted to share the company and "live it up" on my last evening in Paris. I finally got to eat Frog Legs and even ordered fish for dinner. The restaurant was fantastic - a great way to end my trip to Paris. Tomorrow it's out of bed, off to the airport, and back home!