Paris

Sunday morning we drove to Paris to avoid the major city traffic jams. We arrived at our hotel safely after Eric navigated through the one way streets wide enough for two to three cars with no defined car lanes. We had a quick lunch out on the hotel's terrasse before venturing out into the big city.

Our first stop was the Arc de Triomphe. We walked around and under the huge arc monument amazed at the size of it and the detail contained on it. Our journey then continued to the Eiffel Tower.

The train stop was a few blocks away from the tower, but it allowed us to enjoy the Eiffel Tower's elegance. At the nearby plaza, there were also many street entertainers, but we managed to weave through the chaos and find a good viewing area. We strolled through the park on our way to the tower. While admiring the Tower's beauty and size as we stood underneath it, we debated about ascending it, but the lines were too long to waste a warm sunny afternoon waiting to go up.

Another short train ride through the city and we were at the Notre Dame Cathedral. It is a gorgeous church on the exterior as well as the interior. There was a service going on, so the organ was playing during our visit.  

We stopped for a Nutella crepe break before strolling over to the Louvre. We walked around the Louvre, admiring the glass pyramid and the surrounding buildings. From here, we went to dinner as we needed to take the train to get to that part of the city. 

The recommended restaurant was closed, but we did find the Hard Rock Cafe and then a corner cafe for dinner. Unfortunately, the food was not superb as known by the French, but it filled us up. 

In the early evening, we strolled back by the Eiffel Tower to see it all lit up. It was an amazing sight and the girls loved when it glittered on the hour. 

We ended the evening with a stroll down Champs- Elysees Avenue.