Europe Trip: Day 13: Paris

We woke up a little late today, exhausted from all the exploring yesterday. Straightaway, we made our way to the Arc de Triomphe. The monument is in memory of the French soldiers particularly those who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and a ceremonial fire burns bright in the centre of the monument. It also reminded me of the India Gate back home in Delhi, and I was struck by the similarity in their historical significance.



Then we walked down the famous Champs-Élysées, the fashion street of the fashion capital of the world. Showrooms and offices of Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Mont Blanc and Claridges beckoned us to window-shop. (There was no way we could have done anything else!).
In the evening that day, we made our way to the Montmartre village district. A famous address lay at the bottom of the Montmartre hill climb – the Moulin Rouge.

We walked our way on the cobbled streets all the way up to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica at the top of the hill. The atmosphere nearby was like a small carnival - open air cafes, live musicians and artists and of course, various milling tourists and locals. Perfect place for a first date, I said to K. She smiled and nodded her agreement.

Well, the day was about to get even better as we made our way to a cruise on the River Seine. As the sun started to set over the horizon, we travelled along the river soaking in the various other sights of Paris that we had missed – the Musée d'Orsay (home to famous works of Van Gogh, Monet and Renoir among others), the Place de la Concorde (where the guillotine once stood during the French Revolution) and under the oldest bridge in the Paris, the Pont Neuf.
The cruise is an hour long, starting from the Eiffel Tower to the Notre Dame and back, and travels below 24 bridges along the Seine (of a total of 34). A multi-lingual commentary takes you through Paris’s rich history, but tourists are usually more interested in capturing photographs of the excellent views of Paris, especially of the Eiffel Tower.

So, that was Paris – all welcoming and embracing all cultures. Crowded, yet lively and utterly charming.

Traveler Tip: Paris has a superb metro network. Get yourself a metro map and the Carnet booklet of tickets (11 euros for 10 tickets) and you are set to explore Paris on your own. No two places in Paris are far and can be reached through maximum one train changeover. Definitely the best way to get around.