Roma

Today, I got lost in Rome.

I don't mean figuratively, romantically lost.  Literally, hopelessly, lost.  Numerous times.  The often narrow and always going in odd directions streets aren't always well signposted, and it's very easy to get turned around.  Signs for the major tourist attractions are virtually non existent, and if they are present, they point you in the right direction a mile or so from the site, then don't offer any further direction thereon.  And as I said, the streets don't all go in proper directions.

There is a good side to always getting lost though, because you get to see streets and sights you otherwise wouldn't.  Rome is a beautiful city, obviously full of history and culture, and you can't walk far - even in the wrong direction - without coming across some sort of Sight.  Usually, piles of ancient rubble and fallen columns. 

My plane from Nice was delayed last night, so it was after midnight by the time I got into my hotel.  Even so, the taxi ride - with my very helpful driver Patrizio pointing out the sights (sorry ladies, no resembelance at all to that Patrizio) - was interesting.  Even at night, the Colesseum is sight to behold, and we drove right past it, as the hotel I'm staying at is just up the street.  My hotel itself is okay - I had to have a cold shower this morning which was... invigorating... and again, no iron, tissues, mini bar, shampoo and the like, or even a fridge to keep drinks cold, but wireless internet is provided free and is relatively fast, and the staff are excellent and extremely helpful, without even being asked. 

I have to say, Italians in general are incredibly friendly and helpful.  Maybe a little too much of the former sometimes, but you can't have everything.

But I digress.

Inside the Colesseum

This morning I set out for the Colesseum, which is overwhelming when you are standing next to it.  As with the sights I saw in Paris, the photos can't prepare you for seeing the sights in the flesh.  Well, stone.  And marble, where it's not been destroyed by the Christians.  Anyway, They say that over 700,000 people were killed in the Colesseum back in the day. 

Next was a walk to the Palatino Hill, where Romulus first founded Rome.  The Emperors' Palace was later built up here, and continually expanded upon by each, to prove their superiorty.  The palace evenutally came to cover the entire hill, and the hill needed to be expanded to fit it all, hence a lot of the Palatino hill is made of brick.  The palace would truely have been something to see, and would have surpassed all of the palaces that are in France (yes, even including Versailles). 

The Emperor's Home Theatre

Unfortunately now, you really have to use your imagination.  All that is left is some of the brickwork - some part due to time, but mainly wars, earthquakes, barbarians and even worse, Christians, have totaly destroyed the wonders of ancient Rome.  The various Popes and the like didn't like the idea of actually having to pay for bricks and marble for their Vatican and cathedrals, so they resorted to stealing it - I mean, 'recycling' it, from the ancient Roman buildings.  Apparently they justified this because they were pagan buildings and therefore could be destroyed, despite their splendor and importance in history, and having stood for over a thousand years before they came along, but who can argue with a Christian's 'logic'?...

Anyway, as a result there is no marble sheathing, no mosaics, and very little brickwork left of the Palace.  If you want to see the Palace, you have to go to the Vatican to see the marble there. 

End of rant.  It just really bothers me that anything good is always destroyed by Them that shall no longer be mentioned.

Circus Maximus

By the Palace is Circus Maximus - again, you really have to use your imagination.  Apparently it was bombed in one of the wars, but I can't vouch for that - mostly it was just looted over the years and possibly used for building materials.  In the photo you can see the Palace on the left - a little further along out of shot is the viewing balcony for the Emperor. 

Raphael's Tomb

I also went to visit the Pantheon, which has an opening in the top of the Dome which lets in the snow and rain. Thankfully today was a sunny day, although I'm told it is a sight to see. The Dome is as wide as it is tall, and the hole is meant to help it hold up structrually. Within the Pantheon is Raphael's tomb, as well as two Roman kings. The Pantheon has pretty much remained in it's original state, the only thing replaced is the flooring, which has been replicated (not sure what happened to the original).

Inside the Pantheon

Trevi Fountain

After a few more little Piazzas and fountains and getting thoroughly lost along the way, I made it to the Trevi Fountain.  Beautiful, but somewhat underwhelming - I was expecting it to be bigger I think, but mainly it was due to the fact it's squished between buildings, and I always assumed it was in a large Piazza, with... space.  Photos are so deceiving.  Apparently it's a sight to see at night, but I wasn't game to be wondering the streets of Rome at night on my first night, given my ability to get lost in full daylight.

So I threw my coin over my shoulder, and headed back to my hotel for the night.  In the right direction, I'm happy to add. 

President's House

Moyenne Corniche, Eze & Cannes

Moyenne Corniche in the middle, and the
 Grande Corniche at the very top of the mountain

I started today early, with a drive up the Moyenne Corniche, before it got too busy.  Driving the Moyenne Corniche was something I really wanted to do before I left, and I picked the perfect day for it - it was the only day since I came to Nice that's been perfectly clear up in the mountains.

The Moyenne Corniche is a great driving road - so long as there isn't much traffic - and the views along the way are absolutely spectacular.  There are numerous spots along the way where you can pull over and take in the views of the Sea.

I stopped at the medieval village of Eze, which is perched up high on a mountain.  The village is beautifully preserved, and you can walk through the narrow streets - most of them are so narrow you can reach out and touch the buildings either side.  At the top, surrounding the ruins of the old fort, is an exotic garden of desert plants. 

The views from the very top are nothing short of spectacular. You can see Nice Airport, and all the way to Cannes in the distance.  As I said, luckily it was a beautifully clear day, because the rest of the week the mountains have been shrouded in mist. 

View from the top of Eze

Cannes Festival Building

After driving back into Nice, I took the train to Cannes, which is about a 40-45 minute ride, depending on the stops.  For those who love sandy beaches (rather than the pebble variety) Cannes is the place for you.  Most of the beaches along the main strip are private, but if you walk a little further along there are plenty of places, packed full of sunbathers.

Beautiful Cannes Beach

I took the Petit Train tour around the city - aside from the beach here isn't a heap to see, other than the old town, which has a cathedral on top, as they all seem to.  The main beachfront is lined with swanky hotels, including the famous Carlton.  It's a city to be seen in, and it would be something being here durng the Cannes Film Festival!

The Carlton

 
Tomorrow is my last day in France, as I fly out to Rome tomorrow night.  I'll be sorry to say goodbye, the two weeks have absolutely flown by, and there is still so much I didn't get see!

Adieu France!

French Alps

Biot Glassblowers

Today I drove up into the Alps to visit some of the villages.  The scenery is absolutely stunning.  I drove through a few villages - I have no idea what, as it involved unplanned scenic routes as a result of some arguments with my GPS - and stopped in Biot, then Grasse.

Making the Horse

Biot is known for its glassblowers, so after a quick visit into the village square, I went to the major glassblowers factory, where you can see them in action.  They make it look so incredibly easy!  One of the glassblowers was making horses, about as big as your hand, and it took all of five minutes per horse.  It was all amazing to watch.  There were a lot of things in the boutique I wanted to buy, but it was too risky packing in my suitcase, and postage would be exhorbitant. 

A small version of a nose's workstation -
usually there would be hundeds more scents!

Then it was off to Grasse, namely for the Fragonard Perfume Factory.  You can take a free tour of the factoy - unfortunately no workers there today, being Saturday - and the guides explain the process behind the perfume.  You can also purchase directly from them, and straight perfumes are sold at about the price you'd get an eaux de toilette in a normal shop - according to our guide, this is due to the fact in stores, what you are mostly paying for is the packaging and brand.  They also bottle all of their perfumes and eaux de toilettes in metal, which keeps better - up to four years, rather than the two of a glass bottle.  The factory smelled wonderful, and they had a lot of amazing scents to choose from. 

Original way of extracting scent from flowers that can't stand heat (ie steaming it out) - sit the flowers on animal fat for a few months...

To become a top perfumeur, or "noses" as they are called, you have to study for several years, then complete an apprenticeship - the main school is at the University of Versailles, and to get into the course, you have to be able to identify at least 350 difference scents.  There are only 50 top noses in the world.  The whole place was fascinating. 

... then the fat that is left once the scent has been extracted is turned into scented soap!

The scent itself, once extracted from flowers and fruits, etc, is the consistency of oil.  Typically, 80% of any type of perfume is alcohol.  In the case of parfum, it's then usually 20% perfume oil, although the percentages change slightly.  For eau de parfum, it's down to about 10% perfume oil, with water added to make up the rest, and eau de toilette only about 5% perfume oil, so about 15% is just water. 

Also as part of the Fragonard factory, is a costume museum, which is a private collection of 18th and 19th century Provencal gowns.  You weren't allowed to take photos, so they are a little dodgy in quality as I had to sneak them, and it was quite dark in there too.  There was a definite theme of flowers in the outfits the women wore, influenced by the abundance of flowers in the area, which then led to the opening of the perfume factory. 

All very droolworthy!  The work on the dresses and accessories is just amazing. 

Everything was in French, but I could read the part that said "Marie Antoinette" - not sure if it's one of her actual gowns, or was an imitation made at the time, of the fashions she wore. 

Monaco

I'm sorry Nice - as much as I love you, you've been surplanted in the most perfect city rankings, and are now a distant second.

Because today, I spent the day in Monaco.

If money were no object, tomorrow I'd move to Monaco, get an apartment on the water front, buy a yacht, and a Ferrari.  The latter seems to be the transport of choice, behind motorbikes and, let's face it, you're nobody in Monaco, if you don't have a yacht. 

This place is beyond words.  I knew I'd love Monaco, but more as a place to visit - I never thought it could appear so livable. 

The Tunnel

If you want to do some car spotting, Monaco is the place to go.  I lost count of the supercars I saw today, Ferraris making up the vast majority.  As you walk around the streets, you're accompanied by the sensational sound of supercar engines.

And speaking of engines and cars, you can walk the GP track, which takes you past most of the big sights of Monaco. 

Koi Pond

First, I did the bus tour again, which mainly focuses on motor sport, and then, mostly F1.  Then, I walked along the racetrack.  There are racing statues and all sort all around Monaco.  Monegasques are completely obsessed with motorsport in general.  There is also a museum of all of Prince Ranier's cars (and I guess added to since), and has everything from horse drawn coaches, to Formula 1 cars. 

There was a football match on between... well, the red team and the blue team, and the city was inundated with crazy, vuvuzela weidling Spaniards siging football songs (I'm assuming) and screaming out to one another.  

  

Unfortunately you aren't allowed to take photos inside the Casino Monte Carlo, but the place is amazing.  You don't get access to much, unfortunately - just the slot machins, roulette and black jack rooms.  The decorations in the pace rivals any of the palaces I've seen so far!  I had lunch in the Casino square, and as it was Monaco and the Casino, I thought it a good opportunity to indulge, and had lobster for lunch - which was delicious. 

I walked up to the Prince's Palace, which isn't quite as spectacular as one may expect, from the outside at least.  It does, however, have amazing views over the whole of Monaco.  I stayed there until dark, to watch Monaco light up.

The Hairpin

Prince's Palace

Casino Monte Carlo

Casino Square

Nice

The oranges in general are very sour.

Nice has got to be the most perfect city in the world.  I loved Paris, but once you've seen the main attractions, it's easily beaten by Nice as a city you can really live in.  The climate is perfect, it's clean, it has all the charms of an older city, but all of the conveniences of a new one.  Whereas Marseille was a hodgepodge of little alleys and winding streets, Nice, is completely the opposite. 



Add to that, the beautiful Mediterranean Sea - the beaches are pebbles, which seems weird at first, but if you hate sand, it's perfect.  Pebbles don't get stuck between your toes, in your clothes, in you car... or anywhere else. 

It's just so green.  Even those who don't have room for gardens have flowers and greenery spilling from the terraces and rooftops, and any other space they can manage.  The style of the buildings themselves looks great, although it's a shame the salt plays such havoc with the facades. 

Russian Church

I did the hop on hop off bus again, which was perfect as there weren't many thins here I wanted to actually get out and look in, so I mainly stayed on the bus.  One stop was at the Russian church - Nice was an escape from the Russian winter for aristocrats, and many then fled here after the Revolution.  Unfortunately I couldn't go inside, as it was closed for lunch - it's unbelievable how many places close for lunch, especially the tourist places!!



Anyway, Nice is all about the shopping, the sun and the beach!

For dinner I wondered down to the old port to visit the Australian Bar, and see Bruce the dog - he didn't stay long, but kept me company whilst he was there!

Tomorrow it's the train to Monaco.

Cuisine

People keep asking me about the food in France, and I suppose I have been remiss in writing about it!

So far, I've only been eating at cafes and the food places at the tourist venues.  So no fancy restaurants, and alas, no frogs legs yet!  I really had wanted to try them, but they aren't served in cafes.   Escargot are.  But I'm not quite that game.  The duck gizzards I had in Paris tested me enough!

The food is just amazing.  Cheese abounds, as do pastries and breads.  Starting at breakfast - I've been having this in the hotel, and they don't to the heavy cooked, american style breakfast.  It's all delicious pastries, breads, cheeses, cold meats, fruits, yoghurts...

The pastries!!!  I think when I come home, I'm either going to have to learn to make them myself, or never have a bought pastry again.  They are delicously flaky and light - not at all greasy and doughy, or heavy, like pastries we are used to.  There are myriad of choices and fillings too - everthing from chocolate to fruits and jams, to escargot. 

The crepes are also light and soft - and as I mentioned before, Nutella is a very popular filling for them!  I had a Nutella crepe in Paris - OMG.  Sickly because they don't go light on the Nutella, but a perfect dessert!!

The cheeses are to die for  - camenbert of course is everywhere, and so light, without the bitey aftertaste it often has.  I've had so many different cheeses and I have no idea on all of the varieties, but they have all been amazing. 

Sandwiches have tended to be my staple for lunch - sandwiches aren't made with sliced bread, they are always baguettes or paninis.  They tend to have few fillings - eg camenbert with lettuce - the bread in itself is tasty, so you don't seem to need many fillings.  Which brings me to the bread - nice and crusty on the outside, and light and soft on the inside. 

The tap water is actually drinkable - I don't even have to order bottled water!Such a novelty.

The wines you get in a cafe aren't anything special - nice, but no better than our own wines.  Whites that is, French reds are much more to my taste, because they don't tend to be so tanniny.  The ones I've had a nice and light.  If I have the time, I'm hoping to visit a winery not far from here - although the south isn't the best of France's wine regions, this one comes highly recommended, although the name escapes me right now. 

Luckily, I've been walking all of the pastries, crepes, breads and cheeses off...

Côte d'Azur

I have a new favourite place in the world - the Côte d'Azur.  I think I like it even better than Paris, although I've not seen much yet.  It definitely lives up to its name, and as I thought, I wasn't disappointed. 

This morning I (very happily) left Lyon to drive down to Marseille for the afternoon, on my way to Nice, where I'm staying for five nights.  The trip was uneventful - one I figured out the mega service stations, anyway - the highways are great, which makes paying the tolls a little less painful.  

Driving in and out of Marseille itself was an absolute nightmare - I went into the Vieux Port, where the roads are very narrow, and the GPS kept wanting me to turn down streets that you couldn't.  Anyway, that aside, Marseille is beautiful.  I took the hop on hop off bus so I could see as much as possible in the afternoon.  There are a few Roman ruins about, and the forts built either side of the port.  I loved the bus tour, it tells you things about the city you wouldn't otherwise know or hear.  I wish I'd done it in Paris too!

Notre Dame de la Garde

The sea is a beautiful, sparkling... well, azure.  The way so many of the buildings seem to just cling on to the hillsides is just amazing, and there are plenty of swanky houses around too. 

One of the main attractions of Marseille, other than the Vieux Port itself, is the Notre Dame de la Garde, built on the highest part of Marseille. 





I arrived into Nice just as it was getting dark, so I've not seen any of it yet - my hotel room isn't anything to write home about, but the location is excellent - right in the middle of the shopping district, and at 10 minute walk off to beach.  It was very hazy driving in - I hope the coast is clear tomorrow, as it was in Marseille!

Did I mention how lovely and warm it is?  Because it is - warm, warm, warm!  The days are hot, and the nights balmy.  Suckers!

One last observation about France (maybe all of Europe) in general - they don't seem to have invented fly screens yet.  (Not that there are flys, but there are a gazillion wasps.  Of the nasty European variety...)

Fontainebleau

Going back a step - on the way from Pari to Lyon, I stopped at Fontainebleau Chateau.  Again, this place was beyond words.  And as with the other various palaces I've seem thus far, you only get to see a fraction.  It's opulent, to say the least.  Napoleon had this tranformed into what it is today, as an alternative to Versailles, which also been emptied out during the Revolution. 

Napoleon's Mantle

There are a lot of Napoleon's personal effects and clothing on display as well, along with some baby clothing, all of which is gorgeous.  The detail on the clothing is just amazing.

The photo below is of the Queen's bedroom - the decor shown was ordered by Marie-Antoinette, but she never got to use it, as the court didn't return before the Revolution.

The photo below that is Napoleon's office, where he also signed his abdication.  Behind you can see a makeshift bed, as he often worked such long hours that he slept in his office.

Queen's Room

Napoleon's Office

Lyon

Lyon:  Filthy, smelly, ugly.

There is litter and graffiti everywhere.  The people are generally not friendly at all.  Maybe living in such a place makes you grumpy!  In hindsight, the time would have been better spent touring the Loire Valley, but you live and learn. 

As far as sight seeing goes, there's not a lot.  As I said - it's an ugy city!

Today I went to see a silk weaver's house.  Unfortunately I arrived too late for the tour, but they had some of the originally machinery used on display.  The gift shop was largely disappointing, and grossly over priced.  There was some nice silk fabrics, but for the quality, also over priced.  Beautiful silk and wool scarves, etc, but again, no better than what you can buy in any store.  Except for the really expensive stuff!

Then it was across to Vieux Lyon, the original part of the city, which has a beautiful basillica at the top, as well as ruins of a Roman theatre.  I can't get over the amazing architecture here - the work involved is just phenomenal.  The stone for this basillica was imported from Italy.  Getting it to the top of the hill wouldn't have been a small task either - it's quite steep to the top of the hill.   Thankfully, these days there is a train going up there...

The Roman ruins were interesting, and these, along with one other theatre on the other side of the river, is all that's left of the Roman settlement here.  Not too exciting, when I'm heading to Italy next!

Duck is big in France - you can get it anywhere, cooked many different ways, and for reasonable prices.  In Paris I had what I think was cured duck breast, with gizzards - which were actually quite nice, if I could have forgotten what it actually was that I was eating.  Today I had duck breast - they seem to serve it quite rare.  It doesn't beat the duck they used to have at Windy Point though, I have to say.

Tomorrow it's down to Marseille for the day, which I'll see by the hop on hop off bus, then it's on to Nice, where I spend five nights.  I can't wait to do the Riviera, I'm sure that won't disappoint!!

Paris - Lyon

Woo hoo for free WIFI!

And it's fast.

The French countryside is absolutely beautiful, and dotted everywhere with gorgeous, old style villages and chateaux.  And it's so GREEN.  There were sunflower fields everywhere.  I'm glad I drove, rather than catching the train.   The drive wasn't as daunting as I thought it would be - in the cities, most roads seem to be one way, and the highway is separated anyway, so driving on the right hand side of the road hasn't been an issue so far. 

And people know how to DRIVE.  They follow the keep right unless overtaking rule religiously on the highways.  I didn't have road rage once.  And that was driving most of the day.  What an amazing thing

On the way out of Paris I stopped at Fontainebleau Chateau, which was stunning.  Then it was on to Lyon. 

Lyon is dirty, compared with Paris.  I'm happy now to only be spending a day (two nights) here.  I'll be spending the morning in the silk trade area, then head over to Vieux Lyon (the original medieval city) for most of the day, which is right across the river from my hotel. 

My hotel room is gorgeous, much nicer and bigger than in Paris.  The furniture is old style, and the ensuite is posh.  The only downside is no air conditioning - I have a fan on a stand - and no fridge, which is plain weird.  Otherwise, the room is fitted out well

European hotels - don't seem to have irons, or face washers.

I didn't realise Europe - well, when I've been in France at least - was so muggy.  The upside is your skin doesn't dry out, and I can wear my contact lenses every day without problems, whereas at home, one day would dry my eyes out badly.

The only glitch so far was losing my Travel Money MasterCard.  Of course, the person who found it was the type to use it, and they didn't leave much on it before I found out I'd lost it, and stopped it.  Anyway, there is an upside to having numerous credit cards, so I'm not destitute!  Especially given it can take weeks to get the money back.  Stupid bloody banks.

Anyway, I have a long day tomorrow, so that's it for today, and hopefully I'll put heaps of photos up tomorrow - must take advantage of the free WIFI!

Bon soir.

Final Day in Paris

Paris is full of three things: palaces, gardens & fountains and gold. Everything is sheathed in gold - buildings, statues, fences... the stuff is everywhere, and glints beautifully in the sun.

Today was my last day in Paris, and I really don't want to leave. This place is amazing, and I've barely touched the surface of everything there is to do and see here.

I started the morning at the Palace Vendome, just up the street from me, then headed down towards the Place de la Bastille. It's a beautiful, old area, with winding cobbled streets and old mansions. Several have been turned into museums, and I the Muse Carnavalet, which is full of paintings and items from the revolution.

It's a shame the Bastille was destroyed, because it would have been a sight to see. In its place now is a busy square, with a statue in the memory of those who lost their lives in the later revolutions.

The only other major attractions I had to visit was Sainte-Chappelle and the Conciergerie. Sainte-Chappelle is a beautiful chapel, first constructed in the 1200s. It's currently undergoing conservation works on the stained glass so part of it was blocked off. The Conciergerie was used as a prison during the Revolution, although only the lower floor still remains. Many famous prisoners were held there, including Marie-Antoinette. A reconstruction of her cell is on display, close to where her actual cell was. The whole building is rather depressing, and you can only begin to imagine the terrible conditions of the prisoners being held there.

The evening was spent in the beautiful Jardin des Tuileries, which seems to be a very popular spot for Parisians and tourists alike. The ferris wheel in the amusement park there offers an excellent view of the Palace and Paris. Nutella crepes seem to be a big thing, and was tonight's supper. Real crepes are amazingly good - and funnily enough, are not in fact crunchy.

Tomorrow it's off to Lyon for a couple of days, before I head down to Nice.  Here's to hoping that in future the hotels have internet access that's at least as fast as dial-up...

Au revoir Paris!

Day 4 - Invalides, and back to Versailles

Bread comes with every meal. None of this having to order it as an extra rubbish.

Today I went the Hôtel des Invalides. A lot of it is a military museum, which didn't interest me, but the facade is impressive!! The dome also serves as a crypt, and there are a few Frenchmen there, but the biggest draw is the massive tomb of Napoleon, which is directly under the dome. War veterans/invalides are still housed there now, and it's surrounded by beautiful gardens. I don't have enough internet time or awake time tonight to post the photos, so I'll do that another time.

Then I walked to the Pont de l'Alma to see the Liberty Flame, and found it was on the other side of the river and I couldn't be bothered crossing - but seeing it from the other side of the river, it didn't look that impressive anyway. The bridge is over the tunnel where Diana had the crash, so there was a bit of morbid curiosity there too. Although, funnily enough, it looks like every other tunnel under the river...

The rest of the day I spent down at Versailles again. I still don't think I've seen everything there, the gardens are never ending, and absolutely full of hidden treasures. I would have seen more if I'd spent one full rather than two half days, but even though I was expecting to spend a lot of time there, it still caught me out. The weekend is definitely the time to go, because they turn the fountains on, areas that you can't access during the week are opened, and they play music throughout the gardens, which makes for a beautiful atmosphere.

One other thing I'd wanted to go back and look at was the Queen's Hamlet, which is a gorgeous series of buildings - more like cottages - surrounding a lake on Marie-Antoinette's estate. I guess if she got sick of Versailles Chateau, and the two Trianons, she could escape to the Hamlet. It would have been a good life!!! (until the whole guillotine thing, anyway...)

Tomorrow is my last day and night here. I've seen most of the major sights, there are a couple more I'll do tomorrow. Five days hasn't been enough here, I could easily spend another week. I absolutely love Paris!!! It's been very kind to me as wall - tomorrow is 30c again, before dropping down to 23c when I leave on Monday. It was the perfect week weather-wise to be here!

Day 3 in Paris

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day - bordering on too hot. Did I really just say that? It was only meant to be 27c, but it always feels several degrees hotter here - the humidity factor? Lack of wind? Not sure. It's also amazing the difference of the sun here - I've spent three days out in the sun (and my sunscreen didn't make the final cut packing... figured I could get some here, but I haven't seen any so far) and although I'm a very little burnt, I can't actually even feel it - the only way I even realised is the red skin.

I got to see a lot of different sights today. I love the Paris Metro. It makes life (and feet) so much easier!! I think subways are the only bearable form of public transport.

Chanel Store

Very first was a trip to the very first store that Coco Chanel opened, just around the corner from my hotel.  It's huge inside, and everything is very drool-worthy. 

Champs-Elysées/Arc de Triomphe

First was a walk up the Avenue de Champs-Elysées, to the Arc de Triomphe. It's a really nice walk for the first half, a wide, tree lined avenue. The second half turns into a commercial district. The Arc, like everything else, is impressive in both its size and detail.

Champs-Elysées from Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde

Sacré-Coeur


A short Metro trip to the Sacré-Coeur was next. Montmartre is a gorgeous area, sitting on top at the highest point in Paris. It's definitely good exercise trekking up the steep steps to the Sacré-Coeur, especially in the heat!!! It's beautiful inside, but unfortunately you aren't allowed to take any photos.

Jardin du Luxembourg

These gardens, just south of the river, are beautiful, and very busy. You could spend a few hours wondering around here if you had the leisure to. I didn't unfortunately, so it was just a quick walk through on the way to the Panthéon. The Palais du Luxembourg, situated in the gardens and built by Marie de Médicis.

Palais du Luxembourg

Gardens in front of the Palais

La Sorbonne

The University of Paris, just around the corner from the Panthéon.

Panthéon

The Panthéon was originally built by Louis XV as a celebration upon the recovery of a serious bout of gout (as you do). Now the crypt beneath houses the tombs of some of the great men and women of France, including Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo and the Curies. In the centre of the Panthéon, Jean Foucault, a physicist, hung a huge pendulum from the dome in 1851, to prove the earth's rotation. I never studied physics, but I'm sure someone who knows stuff can explain how it works.

Panthéon

Foucault's Pendulum

Then it was dinner time, which I had in a cafe in the Place de la Madeleine, passing Opéra National de Paris Garnier and La Madeleine, another church.

La Madeleine

Opéra National de Paris Garnier