Painting
Today, we had to say a sad goodbye to Chris. He was leaving Paris to travel to London (via the Eurostar) to join up with his mother there for a few days before he was to fly home to Los Angeles. His 4–month European adventure was coming to an end. We took him out for a farewell dinner last night at what had become our favorite restaurant, La Sourdiere Resto, the restaurant on the corner of Britt and Chris’ street. Britt went with him via taxi to the Gard du Nord. Chris needed help with his overheavy luggage. While Britt was gone, I walked to the souvenir shops across from the Tulieries and had a great time buying souvenirs to bring home with me––including, what else, an extremely touristy Eiffel Tower statue. I also bought this painting in the photo. It and another one I also bought were being peddled by a woman street vendor. I thought her paintings were far above the other ones I had seen for sale. She told me to watch out for pickpockets and that they were many here. I think I figured out who they were––guys with cell phones who had no business being here. I was careful and held on to all my goods.
Painting
Arc de Triomphe
After souvenir shopping, Britt and I took the Metro to the Champs–Elysees, the main bouvelard in Paris, to see the Arc de Triomphe. After the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, Napoleon promised his troops, ‘You shall go home beneath triumphal arches.’ The arc was begun the next year, it was not completed until 1836. It is 164 feet high. There is a stairway to the top of it, which Britt and I didn’t wish to climb.
Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe
I wanted to take a photo of the Arc de Triomphe that didn’t have trees blocking the view of it. From the photo, you should realize that I was in the middle of the eight–lane Champs–Elysees when I took this––actually on a small island, there in case pedestrians couldn’t make it across when the light was red. There are twelve streets that feed into the circle around the Arc and cars that enter the circle then have to navigate their way to whichever of the twelve streets they want now to make their turn on. It is very tricky but the French seem to have conquered it. Their maneuvering is fun to watch. There is a movie of this on this website: Go to Movies, Western Europe, France, “Traffic Around the Arc de Triomphe, Paris.” You don’t need to cross the circle to get to the Arc; there is an underground passageway to it.
Arc de Triomphe
Champs-Elysees
The Avenue des Champs–Elysees dates back to about 1667. It extends from the Tulieries to the Arc de Triomphe and today has many shops and cafes on it.
Champs-Elysees
Champs-Elysees
Another view of the Champs–Elysees
Champs-Elysees
Champs-Elysees
Britt and I ate lunch at this sidewalk cafe.
Champs-Elysees
Arc de Triomphe
We took the underground passageway to the Arc de Triomphe. This is the famous Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the middle of the Arc. It is the tomb of an unknown French soldier from World War I.
Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe
Close up of the top of the Arc. The rectangle bas–relief on the left depicts Napoleon’s victory in 1799 over the Turkish army. the bas–relief on the right depicts General Marceau’s Funeral (he defeated the Austrians in 1795). The frieze above the rectangles depicts the departure of the French armies for new battles. Above the frieze, are 30 shields, each bearing the name of one of Napoleon’s battles. Following are better photos of the bas–reliefs below the rectangles.
Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe
The bas–relief on the left. It is called the Triumph of Napoleon and celebrates the Treaty of Vienna peace agreement of 1810.
Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe
This bas–relief, on the right, dpicts the Departure of the Volunteers in 1792, showing citizens leaving to defend the nation.
Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe
The names of the officers of the Imperial Army on listed on the walls of the smaller arches.
Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe
View under the arc.
Arc de Triomphe
Tour Eiffel
We got back on the Metro to go to the Eiffel Tower. As we were going to use the Metro a lot today, we bought all–day passes. We had to buy them from the ticket seller in the Metro station. Britt asked him in French if he spoke English and he said no, so she told him in French what tickets we wanted. After buying the tickets, he asked her if she was an American. When she said yes, he said that she was very nice for being an American! I think that Americans who can speak French are very much liked by the French. Anyway, we made it to the Eiffel Tower. This view was taken across the Seine from the steps of the Palais de Chaillot, which houses four museums, a theatre, and a cinema. This is the closest view that I had so far of the Eiffel Tower and it gave me the same feeling of awe that I have had seeing the Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty––a truly awesome site.
Tour Eiffel
Tour Eiffel
A closer view of the Eiffel Tower. Here you can see the Jardin du Trocadero with its fountains. The Eiffel Tower was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1889. It was designed by Gustave Eiffel, an engineer, and the Eiffel Tower was the world’s tallest building until 1931, when the Empire State Building overtook it.
Tour Eiffel
Jardin du Trocadero
The fountains of the Jardin du Trocadero. There is a fountain show here, with some fountains turning on and then off and then new fountains doing the same. It is Saturday and has gotten warm. Many Parisians were here enjoying the day and the sun.
Jardin du Trocadero
Jardin du Trocadero
A view looking back to the Palais du Trocadero.
Jardin du Trocadero
Avenue de New York
Britt and I were surprised to discover that the boulevard at the end of the Jardin du Trocadero had this name.
Avenue de New York
Tour Eiffel
The bridge over the Seine, Pont d’Iena, and the Eiffel Tower. You can see the red car taking visitors up the Eiffel Tower.
Tour Eiffel
Tour Eiffel
Photo of a car like Britt and I took up the Eiffel Tower. Cars go up from all of the tower’s footings and all had very long lines. After finally getting our tickets to go up, next we were squished in lines waiting our turn to enter a car, then quite squished in the car going up. You can first go up either to the first or the second level––we went up to the second level. Once at the second level, you can take a different car up to the top level. I didn’t want to––the second level was high enough for me. I took photos of Paris from the second level and you will find them on this website: Go to Slide Shows, Western Europe, France, “Paris: Views from the Eiffel Tower.” Britt felt claustrophic and decided to walk down rather than to be in one of the cars again. For some reason, she wasn’t allowed to walk down past the first level, though we did see some people doing this at another footing. If you want, you can also walk up the Eiffel Tower.
Tour Eiffel
Tour Eiffel
A view of the Eiffel Tower from below.
Tour Eiffel
Parc du Champ de Mars
This is quite a large park on one side of the Eiffel Tower. Again, Parisians were enjoying the sun.
Parc du Champ de Mars
Tour Eiffel
Another view of the Eiffel Tower, taken from a different side of it.
Tour Eiffel
Restaurants
Britt and I ate dinner at one of these restaurants, which were located near her apartment. I haven’t written much about French food because I am a very unadventurous eater, but the restaurants in France, of course, offer all kinds of French dishes that will tempt more adventurous eaters. Some of the dishes most restaurants served were duck, beef tartar (ordered by many Americans), and many kinds of fish. I usually stuck with salmon, steak (with frites), and shellfish. Everything I had was excellent. I also kept Britt company by drinking wine with her (French wine is hard to stay away from), but I started learning my drinking limits. Most restaurants had fixed–price menus (called formule)––you could order either an appetizer (called an entree in France) and the main dish (plat) or else the main dish and a dessert for a fixed price. If you wanted all three courses, you paid a higher fixed price. The menus were usually placed on boards outside the restaurants, so you could check all the menus before you decided where you wanted to eat.
Restaurants
Restaurant Menu
One of the menus outside the restaurant. That’s Britt in the photo. I didn’t have to worry about all that French––Britt translated for me. However, most restaurants have English language menus––all you need to do is to ask for one. However, the dessert menu is usually only in French. One dessert you often see is La Dame Blanche––good to know that this dessert is similar to a hot fudge sundae.
Restaurant Menu
Restaurant Menu
Another restaurant menu board.
Restaurant Menu
Restaurant Menu
Another restaurant menu board.
