-
Paris, France
Summer Trip 2019, what better time to go to Europe than in the Autumn. It might be grey and rainy, but at least it’s not super hot. Seems air conditioning hasn’t reached that part of the world yet. Paris was the chosen destination, mainly because it was a cheap airfare, and secondly because it’s Paris. This was a shorter than usual trip for us, at 8 days. That’s because we need to take things a little slower and be less ambitious with the baby. Without further-a-do, here is the list of major attractions we made it to, and our thoughts on them. Eiffel Tower Musee D’Orsay Versailles Louvre Arc de…
-
Latin Quarter, Arrondissement 5, Paris
Eiffel Tower from The Pantheon The Latin Quarter We chose to stay in the Latin Quarter as it was central, while also being good value for money. Plus there was plenty of restaurants and bars in the area so we didn’t have to travel far for food. These venues probably weren’t the best choice to go with an infant, but in Paris I don’t there is anywhere that is baby friendly. The Latin Quarter got its name from the University that was founded here in the 12th century. In those times Latin was the language of the educated. Pantheon An impressive building. Originally constructed as a Church, it’s use has…
-
Versailles, France
Château de Versailles Versailles So off we went to the Chateau and Gardens of Versailles. An easy train ride on the RER C train from Paris which took approx. 40 minutes from Saint-Michel Notre-Dame Station to the terminus station at Gare de Versailles Chateau Rive Gauche. We had the unfortunate luck of catching the train in peak hour. Most of the passengers deboarded at Issy Val de Seine. No doubt you’ll be going there early in the morning to make a full day of it, so an easy way to spot your train during peak hour is it’ll most likely be stickered inside and out with Versailles imagery. This was…
-
Historical Axis of Paris
View from Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile Arc De Triomphe Turns out there are two Arc de Triomphes, the du Carrousel and the much more famous de I’Etoile. A brief history, both Arcs are to celebrate Napoleon’s victories in 1805. Carrousel was constructed between 1806 to 1808, while the much larger I’Etoile was constructed between 1806 to 1836. Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile I’Etoile stands 50 m (164 ft) tall and has a viewing deck at the top for those with tickets. Access to the inner area is via one of two underground passageways. To reach the viewing deck is via spiral staircases, consisting of, by my count, approx. 280…
-
Palais-Bourbon, Arrondissement 7, Paris
Eiffel Tower from Champ de Mars We headed off on this damp morning towards the Eiffel Tower. A straight forward enough walk, just need to watch the map for a few key intersections to turn at. Being Paris, there is no grid system, mayhem reins. Eiffel Tower Located in the Champ de Mars park, the Eiffel Tower stands out in the relatively low Paris skyline. I can just imagine in 1889 when it was built, it would have been an impressive sight. It still is. We approached from the south-east end of Champ de Mars, and got our photos from a distance, before moving progressively closer. Of course, taking more…