France is a beautiful country, and five days was not enough time to explore even its capital city, Paris. There is so much history to learn and famous places to explore. I did my best to visit as many sites as I could while enjoying listening to French being spoken around me and soaking in the lovely culture. You'll likely recognize many of the pictures below because so many books and movies are set in Paris.
I visited in January, winter, when the weather is not at its best. It's cold (around 4 degrees C) and rainy most days, but I was lucky enough to have some sun the first two days I was there. Paris was easy to travel around on public transportation and I had the opportunity to speak French many times. Here were my favourite places:
Montmarte
This is the neighbourhood where many famous writers and painters, like Picasso, lived. It's a very creative place with artists in squares trying to sell their work. The neighbourhood is set on a hill, and the views of Paris from the top are beautiful. It's also home to Sacre-Coeur, a large, white, domed church. A cute merry-go-round is set at the bottom of the steps that lead up to Sacre-Coeur.
The Eiffel TowerI'd seen it in so many pictures and movies but never appreciated how beautiful it really is. At night, it lights up with a soft glow, and every hour, on the hour, for five minutes, it sparkles. I loved looking at it from all views: from Sacre-Coeur, from Trocedero Station, and from right underneath it. It was foggy most of the time I was there, so I chose not to climb it, but it will have to be something I do on my next visit!
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| Venus de Milo |
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| The Mona Lisa, known to follow you with her eyes wherever you are in the room! |
The Louvre holds some of the world's most famous works of art, like the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. I was also excited to see two original Vermeer paintings after reading Chasing Vermeer two years ago with my Grade Fours. Below is The Astronomer and The Lace Maker. The Louvre itself is a beautiful building with huge archways and grand staircases.
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| Outside the Louvre: The Pyramid is where you enter! |
The Arc de TriompheNapoleon had this huge monument build to honour those who fought for France in the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars. Along its walls there are the names of great generals inscribed, and underground is the tomb of the unknown soldier from World War One. The arch stands at the centre of a huge roundabout, but there's a tunnel you can walk through that takes you right up underneath it. You can also climb to the top. If you look at how little the cars look next to it, you'll notice how HUGE it really is!
Notre-DameYou might know this Catholic cathedral from the story, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, written by the famous French author, Victor Hugo, but it's also well-known for its architecture. Huge, intricately carved gargoyles and statues cover its outside walls, while inside its vaulted ceiling is highlighted by massive stained-glass windows. It's an incredibly beautiful building.
The SeineLastly, a visit to Paris would not be complete without a walk along the River Seine. It flows through the city, much like the Bow River in Calgary, and has wide pathways for walking and picnic-ing. Many houseboats and barges can be seen sailing along the river. One of my favourite bridges is the "Love Bridge" where people close locks on the gated side and throw the key into the river to secure their relationships and wishes.
Now, technically, this does not count as another country that I visited on the trip, because you might remember that I travelled through Reunion back in October. La Reunion is one of the islands around the world that France owns and governs. So, at this point, I'll stay at #12. But it is interesting that this is the only country on my trip that I'll be visiting that is in the continent of Europe.
If you're interested in learning more about France, I found this fun website for kids:
http://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/france-facts.html
