Pages From My Passport: Paris Day 2

In an effort to make up for a lazy first day, we decided to hit the streets of Paris early. Our first stop, was our neighboring patisserie, where we gobbled down the most perfect croissants in all of France. Soft on the inside, just the right amount of crunchniess on the outside, flaky, and buttery. Great, now I'm hungry.

Full of energy, we headed to the Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysses. From there, we went to Trocadero to see the Eiffel Tower, before going down to the tower itself. While at the tower, we saw a gypsy in a gorilla outfit directing her band of gypsies to sell things, pick pocket (or so it seemed), and terrorize all who saw on the grass in the shade of the Eiffel Tower in search for a quiet and relaxing time. Nearby is a cool monument that says, "Peace" in several different languages. We watched a kid through a rock at one panel and it subsequently create thousands of little cracks. Fortunately for his parents, the glass did not shatter to the ground... It actually looks cooler his way.

Proving more so that I am no Sacajawea, I tried to get us to either Notre Dame or the Pantheon, yet failed. Instead, I took us through a section filled with embassies, government buildings, and no restaurants (I was starving). We decided to walk back towards the Eiffel Tower, went over to the River Seine, and headed towards a giant dome that we thought might be the Pantheon. It wasn't. I don't know what it was, but the area around it was very nice (see the fountains and obelisk below). Completely unintended, we wound up seeing the National Assembly building, Napoleon's Tomb, the Church of St Mary Magdalene, and the Church of St Augustine, all of which were spectacular. Giving up on finding Notre Dame and the Pantheon, we chose instead to go to Sacre Coeur. Up by Sacre Coeur, we saw a church whose name currently escapes me, the original Sacre Coeur church built in the 1100s called the Church of St Pierre de Montmarte, chic boutiques, epic artists, and the Basilica of Sacre Coeur. Outside the basilica was a World Youth Day group from Brazil singing, "Jesus Christo, Alleluia" (video below). Built on a hill, the property affords amazing views of Paris. Inside the basilica, no photos were permitted, but it was splendid. Go see it. Sacre Coeur and the immediate area is at the top of my Parisian highlights list.

To wrap up the day, we had some delicious Chinese food - real Chinese food > Parisian Chinese food > American Chinese food - and then returned to the hotel.

What a day! So exhausting.

Arc de Triomphe