Cimitière de Passy, Paris

The Eiffel Tower & the Chaillot Quarter

A trip to Paris obviously isn't complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower - although it's much more impressive from the ground looking up than it is once you're up there, which isn't suprising. We went at night, which was an excellent plan; first, it's totally amazing to see it at night all lit up, and second, there was no virtually no waiting - we just walked up, bought our tickets and next thing you know, we were at the top, so it was inadvertently a great plan. The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 and was actually the world's tallest building until the Empire State Building was built in 1931. It's quite the construction too, apparently even in strong winds it nevers sways more than a couple inches. From the top, you get an amazing view (even at night) of the Tocadero Gardens and the Champs-de-Mars.

On my last day, not wanting to leave anything out, I jammed in a last minute trip to Chaillot quarter, which at one time was actually a separate city but is now a sort of suburb of Paris. The Palis de Chaillot faces the Eiffel Tour on one side and borders the Trocadero Gardens on the other, in a beautiful location. THere are tons of funky little cafes and restaurants, but even more interesting, just a few blocks away is the Cimitière de Passy, which is a small cemetery in the middle of this residential neighbourhood that is quite amazing. It is the resting ground for many famous people, including Claude Debussy and Edouard Manet and the tombs are massive and very ornate. There are rows and rows of striking crypts and huge tombs with carvings and detailed sculptures all jam packed into this tiny cemetary. It's very cool.

Anyway, I'm off to the Channel Islands, which I'm sure will pale in comparison next to the rich history (and fabulous food!) of Paris. Duty calls however... au revoir!

Painters & Poets - Montmartre

From Picasso to Apollinaire, painters and poets put the "art" in Montmartre, one of the interesting and very bohemian areas of Paris to visit. The two main attractions are the infamous Moulin Rouge, which is really pretty run down looking in real life... it's located on the boulevard de Clichy, which is the heart of the red light district (Pigalle) in Paris and that stretch of road is definitely seedy – filled with sex shops, peep shows and an interesting collection of atypical Parisians.

However, just a few streets above, in Montmartre, stands the Basilica of Sacré Coeur (Sacred Heart). I'ts a spectacular and huge white basilica that was built as a memorial to the 60,000 French soldiers killed during the France-Prussian war and took 46 years to build and cost 40 million francs. It’s a bit of a climb up all the stairs to actually reach the church, but it’s definitely worth the effort. The church isn’t all that spectacular inside, but the view of the entire city once you're up there, is fantastic.

Montmartre itself is this tiny little collection of winding back streets, small squares and terraces lined with cafes and bars. There are plenty of artists around today still, painting tourist portraits in the place du Tetre, where this is an artists market with painters for sale. THere are also plenty of smaller museums and galleries up here, the most famous probably is the Salvador Dali museum, but we didn't have enough time - however, I did have an excellent bowl of French onion soup (although in France, they just call it onion soup!)

Principal 10 De Paris

Salutations, mes amis, de Paris ensoleillé.

What can I say… Paris is definitely as fabulous as everyone says it is… although I think it would be most amazing to be here in the spring when all the flowers and trees are in full bloom. It really is a gorgeous city, with the Seine meandering its way through the heart of the city, the rive gauche and all its funky shops, plus, everywhere you turn there is a little boulangerie or patisserie tucked away (I totally don't understand how all those elegant french women stay so thin, with all the amazing food in this city) - it really is an “experience”

I worked hard to see the Paris Top 10 during my short stay, which meant my feet were sore at the end of each day after miles and miles of walking… however, I am happy to report that I accomplished most of my mission… There are obviously more than 10 fabulous sites to see in Paris, but these were the recommended top 10: The Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, Sacré Coeur, Arc de Triomphe, Centre George Pompidou, Sainte-Chapelle, Panthéon, Museé d'Orsay and the Hotel des Invalides. I didn't see all of these, but almost!

Started with a stroll from Rue Saint Germaine on the left bank, where I stayed (in a tiny little hotel off Rue de Baci) over Le Pont Neuf (which means New Bridge and is actually a misnomer, b/c it is apparently the oldest bridge in the city) Just over the bridge very close to one another are two of the city’s most famous cathedrals – Notre Dame and Sainte Chappelle. Of course, Notre Dame is an amazing gothic masterpiece on the Ile de la Cité – with its distinctive towers at the front and rose windows. The church is famous for its Galerie des Chimeres (gargoyles) which are carved into the spaces bewteen the towers, supposedly to ward off evil. The church is massive and took 170 years to complete

Sainte Chappelle is very close by, but much different, much more subdued than Notre Dame – it was built in the 1200s by Louis IX as a shrine for his holy relics and is considered the most beautiful church in Paris, with its floor to ceiling stained glass windows and a star-covered vaulted roof. It is very small, but as you climb the narrow staircase and enter into the cathedral, the effect of light and colour is breathtaking.

Of course, a visit to Paris must include a trip to the Louvre, despite the fact that it is impossible to see even a manageable portion of it in one trip. There are over 350,000 priceless objects so you really could spend a lifetime there. We really just hit the highlights, which is not the most satisfying way to experience it, but it's enough just to get there; the building itself is amazing – the museum is housed in an renaissance style palace (although it was first built as a fortress) and is massive, with marble stairways and arches and long majestic hallways that go on forever.

I visited the Mona Lisa (La Gioconda), which was interesting in that it was so small and right out there in the open (I have obviously been reading too much of the Davinci Code)… I knew in actuality that it wasn’t a very big portrait, but it’s located in a large open gallery and is really very small compared to everthing else in the room and it seems relatively accesible (no protection other than a glass covering it, although I'm sure the room is totally wired). However, it is wonderful to see – if you can get close enough, with the throngs of people jamming to get a picture that is – it makes it difficult to actually just stand and admire it – everyone is so anxious to get a photo that half the people don’t even really look at. I managed to worm my way to the front of the pack for a brief instant and tried to take a minute to appreciate what I was looking at.

Also saw the Venus di Milo, along with many other gorgeous Italian sculptures, including Michelangelo’s “Dying Slave”, Psyche & Cupid (Canova), The Winged Victory of Samothrace plus a ton of other amazing pieces that I probably have no idea of how famous they are. It really is totally overwhelming. Another reason I should have taken an art history course in university.. Is it time for a latte and my chocolate eclair yet? My feet are sore...