Paris Sites

Day 5

Paris is full of beautiful sites.  We started our site seeing at Norte Dame during our first afternoon in Paris.  This cathedral is over 700 years old and has beautiful Gothic architecture. We never got a chance to climb to the top because the line was always so long and it was so hot. But it’s always nice to have a reason to come back.  

The Rose Window 

The outside was more beautiful than the inside 

Perched on the city’s highest point, the Sacre-Coeur basilica was the second church we visited.  It is found in the artsy neighborhood of Montmartre, which was home to many famous artists including Vincent van Gogh. It was a really hazy day but through the haze we could see all of Paris.

 On our walk through Montmartre we came across a lot of cute little spots like a vineyard and old windmills.

 Vincent van Gogh's home

 We ended our tour of Montmartre at the famous Moulin Rouge.

That afternoon we visited the Luxembourg Gardens.  These 60 acre gardens, dotted with statues and fountains are found behind Luxembourg Palace (where the French Senate presides).  We found a nice shaded area to rest and re-cooperate after all of our walking.  We must of gotten too comfortable because the next thing we remember was being asked nicely in French to wake up and not sleep in the grass by a French police officer.

 We walked back to the Right Bank that day across Pont Neuf, Paris’ oldest bridge. I think Pont Neuf is one of the most romantic spots in Europe so naturally we visited this area a few more times for those “French kisses.” This bridge is not Pont Neuf but I realized we didn't have a picture of the actual bridge only the view from it. 

 

Another Church we visited, Sainte-Chapelle, had an abundance of stained glass windows and every inch of the chapel was covered in painted detail. It was built to house relics of the True Cross, including the Crown of Thorns.

 Strolling through the flower market and stopping to smell the roses.