Lost in Paris for a Day

I got a later start than expected today in Paris.  I walked out the door of my hotel at 9:30 and just started walking.  I have this thing that I have a list in my head of what I want to see.  My thing is that I don't use a map.  I didn't really use the map in Dublin, and I didn't take the map out once today while being in Paris.  I guess I had a general idea of where things were located after looking at travel books and maps over the last month that I figured I would be OK.  It wasn't like I was completely on my own out there in the big bad city, there were signs everywhere.

My first stop this morning was Notre Dame Cathedral.  It was 200 meters from my hotel, and it was the easiest thing to find since it was so big!  I was able to walk throughout the cathedral.  It was absolutely stunning.  It reminded me of the cathedrals I saw in Italy when I was there years ago.  Don't get me wrong, it is definitely similar to St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, but Notre Dame just seemed so grand.

After walking around Notre Dame, I thought it was a good time to grab a coffee and a croissant.  I started looking for a cafe.  It wasn't hard to find one at all because there are at least five on every street with outdoor seating.  It was hard for me to pick a cafe because I didn't want a cafe that was overly crowded, and I wanted something where I thought I had an idea of what the waiters were saying.  I finally found Cafe Marguerite that overlooked the Seine.  I ended up sitting there for over 2 hours!  I ordered a coffee and a croissant.  I ended up meeting some people who were from Australia.  There are a lot of Australians here in Paris.  While I was at the cafe, I also updated my journal of yesterday's travels.  Yes, I am still writing a journal, even though I am telling you everything (well maybe everything) here in my blog.

Once I was finished my business at the cafe, I continued walking along the Seine when I came upon the Pont Neuf.  The bridge was not as grande as I thought it would be, but there was a beautiful view.

As I continued walking, I came upon Musee de Louvre.  It was magnificent along with everything else in Paris.  The architecture in all the buildings are so ornate.  I just can't get over it!  I walked outside the Louvre for awhile.  I took a little break next to one of the fountains by the Louvre.

After the Louvre I just started walking and ended up at the Opera and the Royal Palais.  I grabbed lunch at a cafe near the opera.  Following lunch I thought I was headed in the direction of the Arch de Triomphe, however I never made it there.  It was definitely on my list of things to see, but I ended up going in a completely different direction.  I ended up on the far end of the Louvre which was near the following... not sure what it is, but I will figure it out.  (please comment if you know!)

I ended up watching models in a photo shoot.  It was really neat to see all these people working on one model's hair and makeup.  As I headed around the city some more, I took a few breaks along the greens in front the buildings or sat on a bench along the Seine.  I eventually ended up at the Eiffel Tower.  It was very exciting.  I had a chocolate ice cream cone, and then waited to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower.  I pre-ordered my ticket while I was home in the states.  It was the best thing I have ever done.  By ordering your tickets in advance you can skip the long lines to get to the level above the restaurant.  I went to the top of the Eiffel Tower at 9pm thinking it would be somewhat dark outside.  The sun wasn't even ready to set.  The sun sets so late, or that is what I think.  

After seeing the Eiffel Tower, I hailed a cab and headed back to the hotel to pack for my travels to Italy. So, I will send you my next posting from Italia!