Day 17: Paris

Nate and I were extremely excited to find the next day in Paris sunny and clear...definitely not what was forecasted! We had a big day planned: the Louvre museum, the Eiffel tower, the arc de triomphe, the Champ de Elysee, and the Orsay museum. We got to all of these places and more during this beautiful day. At the Louvre we saw the original Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and much more. The Orsay was also very interesting and showed the progression of French art. The Orsay held paintings of Van Gogh, Monet, Courbet, and many more. We walked along the Champ de Elysse, a famous street (and expensive!) that runs through the downtown area. It ends at the arc de triomphe, a arc that Napoleon built to honor war victims. We actually climbed the arc. It is situated at the middle of the city so all the roads converge around it like the spokes of a wheel. We ended at the Eiffel tower. We did wait a while to get a ride to the top, but it was worth the wait. The structure itself is actually not the most aesthetically pleasing...just a bunch of metal. But the view at the top was pretty neat. We stayed until dark to get some good night shots. We were surprised by a light show that we did not even know about. Thousands of flash-like lights went off all around the tower making for an impressive display!


Having some fun in the park


Outside the Louvre


Venus de Milo


Beginning the walk down the Champ de Elysee


The arc de triomphe




Taken from the tower