All the hard work on the running path is being erased by the tasty bits inside Coquelicot.
After breakfast we set out to explore our hood, Montmartre. This area has been an artsy community for over 200 years. From our apartment we made our way up steep, winding cobble stone roads until we reached Place du Tertre. The little square is loaded with artists selling their work.
An artist works on a new piece in Place du Tertre.
About two mins walk from the Place du Terte is the stunning Sacre-Coeur. The basilica was was completed in 1914 and took 39 years to build. Inside are some amazing mosaics. Most notable is the massive "Great Mosaic of Christ" on the ceiling of the dome. The mosaic took 10 years to complete!
Sacre-Coeur. The Ovoid Dome is the second highest point in Paris.
As impressive as the basilica was, a little girl chasing a giant bubble created by a dude with an even bigger lid, easily steals the show. However, for those footy fans out there, we found this dude juggling a football. He made the legendary juggler Mr. Woo look like an amateur.
Someone had sent me a youtube video of this guy, absolutely amazing.
After a quick stop at the apartment we headed for a visit to Notre-Dame. We took the Metro down to Pont Neuf and made our way on to the Ile De La Cite.
The oldest bridge in Paris, Pont Neuf.
Passerelle des Arts was the first cast-iron bridge in Paris. The bridge today is a 1984 reconstruction of the original which was completed in 1804.
Everywhere you turned there was a stunning bridge.
Notre-Dame took a staggering 170 years to complete. I am sure many of you have seen it before, but for those of you that haven't, it is truly breath taking inside. It is mind boggling to think that you are standing in a building where the first stone was laid 847 years ago. The access to the towers was closed when we got there after our late lunch, so we will have to go back another day to get up close an personal with the famed gargoyles.
West Front of Notre-Dame.
Some of Notre-Dame's gargoyles.
East view showing the Flying Buttresses.
Great view of the south east side of the cathedral.
After dinner the lights of Paris came out. The city takes on a whole new look.
West front.
North east side.
East end.
Pont au Change and Conciergerie.
Several hours later, we arrived back our starting point at the Metro station at Pont Neuf. From there we took the subway up to the Arc de Triomphe. Napoleon promised to his men "You shall go home beneath triumphal arches." The Arc was started in 1806 and took 30 years to complete. Trouble with the architect and Napoleon's demise from power were to blame for the delay. On the ground inside the Arc is a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier that fell during World War 1.
The East facade of the Arc de Triomphe as you walk out of the Metro station.
Inside the Arc looking down the famous Avenue des Champs-Elysees.
This a picture looking up the the spiral staircase (over 250 stairs) that gets you to the top of the Arc.
Looking East down the Avenue des Champs-Elysees.
There is a fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower from the Arc's viewing platform.
The four of us on the roof of the Arc. The red thing sticking out of my head is the Eiffel Tower.
The Avenue des Champs-Elysees is illuminated by over one million lights that were turned on November 19th to signify the start of the holiday festivities. With all of the posh stores on the avenue, we probably made the best purchases ever, toilet paper and paper towel. Awesome.
View looking back to the Arc de Triomphe from the top of the ferris wheel.
The obelisk and the Eiffel Tower compete for your attention.
It was a full day with a good mix of history and fun. We used the Metro more today to get from site to site which helped us to see more things. By the end of the day we were all ready to get back to the apartment. I can't wait for my Cafe au lait and Pommes pastry at Coquelicot tomorrow morning.
