Month: June 2004

It was a high of 88 degrees here in Paris yesterday. My travel tip for anyone that might visit Paris? Do not walk from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde – all the way down the Champs-Elysees – on a hot summer day. Part of the way is fine, but don’t walk the whole way. If you do have to walk the whole way, make a lot of stops, and bring cold water.

One of the stops you should make? In the Sephora store that far surpasses all other Sephoras. Oh my God. That place is HUGE. I had no idea that Sephora was a global company, or that they had so many stores in Paris.

Today isn’t going to be quite as hot as yesterday, although it will still be warm. Perfect for sitting at cafes and enjoying the sites. I started the day off by taking a photo with Jean-Michel at 9:09, and Mike joined us for others in front of the Pantheon. Now it is time to see the sites before it gets too hot!

It’s 422 steps to the top of the Notre Dame Cathedral. 422 spiral staircase steps. 422. Then you can see the gargoyles up close, and an absolutely amazing view of Paris. Then you can walk another 125 steps and see a panoramic view that is simply breathtaking. It’s hard work, but it was worth every single step we had to climb.

Now every time I see a photo of the Notre Dame, I point at the tower on the right – at the very top of it – and say, “I was up there!”

We started the day off today at a leisurely pace. We had a long “must see” list for London, but the list for Paris is much shorter. We decided to stroll at a leisure pace, checking out the sights and taking in another wonderful day. Walking for hours outdoors is not something you can do in the summer in Houston, so we are making the most of it.

We started off walking in and around Notre Dame Cathedral, after finding what a local told us was “the best” ice cream stand. I don’t know what it is about Notre Dame, but I find it breathtaking. I could spend all day there, from exploring the inside to strolling in the parks around the walls. I am completely enamoured by the gargoyles and I’m looking forward to the climb to the top of the towers to see them up close. Being a Sunday, there were a lot of crowds today – hopefully tomorrow morning will be better.

Years ago, I visited Paris. I was on a super tight budget, so we walked the steps to the second level of the Eiffel Tower, but didn’t spend the big bucks for the elevator to the top. We also didn’t spend the money to go to the top of Notre Dame.

Times have changed. I’m not even sure if you can just walk to the top now – all the kiosks I saw today were for the elevator only. Mike had promised me a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower, but didn’t bother to mention that he has a pretty strong fear of heights. We made it all the way to the top though, along with exploring the first and second levels too. AMAZING. Absolutely beautiful. Fabulous. Tres bon!

Then the sun set, and we got to see the tower with all the lights on, including the twinkling sparkling lights that make it look like glittery diamonds. I couldn’t capture those on film, so I made a movie using my camera of them. No matter how many photos I take, nothing can truly and completely capture the beauty of the Eiffel Tower though. I must have taken 100 photos at least, and I want to return to take more. I know it is a simple grasp at a memory though, but a memory I never want to forget.

Surreal moment of the day … sitting in Cafe Panis, just across the Seine from Notre Dame Cathedral. Eating crepes and ice cream, watching the sunset at 11:00 at night. Good wine, great food, and beautiful weather. The Eiffel Tower visible as we walked from our hotel to the Seine. The hotel right across the street from the Pantheon, glowing in the sunset light.

The WiFi is free, there is a breeze blowing across the tables as the hustle and bustle of the world goes by. Norah Jones is playing in the background, a perfect backdrop to a beautiful scene. Today is our 1 week wedding anniversary. We’re in Paris, we’re in love, and life is very, very good.

Ahhh… we are in Paris and it is beautiful! We arrived a little after 5:00 today, took a taxi to our hotel, and I immediately started to take photographs of the Pantheon, which is immediately outside of our hotel. Gorgeous in the glow of the setting sun.

After we took the luggage to the room, we headed out to enjoy some more of the fantastic weather and the sunset. We decided to go to Notre Dame instead of taking the metro to the Eiffel Tower. I was just happy to see it off in the skyline.

The steps to the top of the Notre Dame towers close at 7:30 pm normally, so I don’t think we will get to be up there for sunset – the sun has just finally gone down completely, and it’s 11:00 pm here.

After walking to Notre Dame, we decided to find a cafe and just relax. We walked a lot in London, as we had a long list of “must see” places. Paris will be a lot more about relaxing, seeing things like the Eiffel Tower (I didn’t go to the top in 1991 – I am going this time!), more of Notre Dame, and maybe some of the museums. The weather is too beautiful to waste it indoors.

Now I’m going back to eating my ice cream at the Cafe Panis just across the Seine from Notre Dame. I saw another man with a laptop out, and decided to take advantage of the WiFi while we were here.

It has been an absolutely fabulous trip so far, and I can’t wait to see what the week ahead has in store for us. Au revoir!