Who Doesn't "Louvre" Paris? - Paris, France - Part II



Hi everyone, welcome back! I hope that you all had a great spring break and first week back at school. Today, we’re going to spend some more time in Paris. Last week, I talked about the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Louvre. For this post, we’re heading to the Arc de Triomphe and River Seine, and I’m also going to give you some information about river cruises!


The Arc de Triomphe is a famous monument and is located in the middle of the Place Charles de Gaulle, at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. It was built in the 1800s after Napoleon I commissioned it to celebrate his military accomplishments.

The detail in the arch is absolutely impeccable and seeing it is truly pretty magnificent. You can get to the Arc de Triomphe via an underground tunnel, and this is actually the only way to access it without getting hit by cars. (The Arc is surrounded by a traffic circle and is always extremely busy!) I didn’t go up to the top of it, but I’ve heard that the view is nothing short of amazing. At the base, there is also a memorial commemorating the life of an unknown French soldier who died in World War I. My family and I saw the Arc during the day, but apparently there is a torch by the memorial that lights up every evening. Click here to learn more about the history of the Arc de Triomphe!

 

Next stop: the River Seine. Stretching about 480 miles across the city, the river is one of the most spectacular parts of Paris.

My family and I took a river cruise one night, which I really enjoyed. From the river, you can see the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, La Grande Roue ferris wheel, Musee d’Orsay art museum, and much more. If I remember correctly, we rode with Vedettes du Pont Nerf and took a one-hour cruise in the evening. The tour guides do commentary in both English and French, and it was really interesting to learn about some of the most famous monuments in France!

(Views from the River Seine Cruise - Left: Eiffel Tower; Right: Notre Dame Cathedral)

During the summer, several of the banks along the River Seine are transformed into beaches, with sand and umbrellas to give it a more authentic feel. My family and I had a picnic at the beach with my mom’s friend from business school (who lives in France), and it was a lot of fun. In the summer, the city hall building - Hôtel de Ville - is also revamped, so there were beach volleyball courts in front of it.

(Hotel de Ville City Hall)

Thanks so much for reading; I hope you have a great Easter! See you next week :)

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