Paris, France - City of Lights Photo Gallery by Karthik Raja at pbase.com

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Paris, France - City of Lights

Journey dates: 26th Nov - 30th Nov, 2009
15th June, 2014
Travelers: Shwetha Shrivatsa and Karthik Raja

Day 1: Highlights: We reached the most romantic city in the world, by taking a direct flight from Chicago. American Airlines we find has good connections from Chicago to European cities. The Paris airport information center was very helpful and we got a 3 day train pass for zones 1-3 for 20 Euros and a 2 day Museum pass for 32 Euros. Both are very useful and cost effective if you plan to stay 3 days and love visiting museums. We switched two trains to get to our hotel, Eiffel Kennedy. The subway and the local trains in Paris is very easy to use. The hotel was small but charming, situated close to and across the river from the Eiffel on rue de Boulainvilliers. Since it was past noon by the time we got out of our hotel, we grabbed delicious crepes (one cheese and tomato and a banana Nutella) from the street cafes and made our way to the magnificent Eiffel Tower. The walk to the Eiffel was beautiful, along the Seine and past the Pont du Bir-Hakeim. Very Paris and very romantic.

There was a long line to get to the top of the tower and the top level of the tower was closed that day, but the views from the 2nd level were breathtaking. The Eiffel Tower was designed by Gustave Eiffel and built between 1887 and 1889. It was the tallest structure in the world till 1930 till my favorite building the Chrysler Building took over. It is still the most visited paid monument in the world. The Eiffel's entrance fee is not covered in the museum pass. There is a never ending debate about whether the Eiffel or adds to or subtracts from the beauty of Paris but for us there is no question. Its magnificence makes Paris what it is. It is both graceful and a hunk of metal at the same time. Our next stop was the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, or sacred heart church, which is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. It is relatively a newer church having been consecrated only in 1914. There are rows of small stores on the way to the Basilica and it has a touristy feel. Entrance to all churches are free in France. We also climbed the bell tower adjoining the church for more breath taking views of the city. There is a 3 Euro entrance fee for the 300 plus steps climb to the top. It also turns out the Sacre-Coeur has featured in many movies and music videos and is one of the most recognizable monuments in Paris. As nightfall hits, the area around the church and the steps turn into a congregation for local artists to perform and for the young and hip to hang out.

We ended the day with a walk down the famed Avenue des Champs-Élysées. The avenue was beautifully decorated and filled with tourists. We returned to our hotel leaving the Arc de Triomphe for another day.

Day 2: Museums: This was the day for a marathon of museum visits, so we started the day early. Our first stop was the Musée d'Orsay and we spent 4 magical hours viewing some of the master pieces of the Impressionist and Post Impressionist eras. Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Caillebotte, Manet, Degas and a special exhibition on the works of James Ensor. Plan to spend a few hours as you will need them. Lunch was a quick bite at a cozy cafe near the Orsay museum. Being vegetarians, though our options were limited, it wasn't hard to find food. The salads are amazing and there is always the "French" fries to rely back on.

Stop number 2 was the Cathedral, Notre Dame de Paris. It is considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and stands impressively in one of the natural islands of the Seine, Île de la Cité. The cathedral's construction was begun in 1163 under th

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France	Eiffel Tower, Paris, France	Eiffel Tower, Paris, France	Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
Eiffel Tower, Paris, France	Eiffel Tower, Paris, France	Eiffel Tower, Paris, France	Seine, Paris, France
Notre-Dame, Seine, Paris, France	Notre-Dame, Seine, Paris, France	Notre-Dame, Panorama, Paris, France	Notre-Dame, Paris, France
Notre-Dame, Paris, France	Notre-Dame, Paris, France	Notre-Dame, Paris, France	Notre-Dame, Paris, France
Notre-dame, Paris, France	Notre-dame, Paris, France	Notre-Dame, Paris, France	Notre-Dame, Paris, France
Notre-Dame, Paris, France	Notre-Dame, Paris, France	Notre-Dame, Paris, France	Notre-Dame, Paris, France
Notre-Dame, Paris, France	Notre-Dame, Paris, France	Paris, France	Charlemagne, Paris, France
Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France	Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France	Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France	Place de l'Hotel de Ville. City Hall plaza, Paris
Place de l'Hotel de Ville. City Hall plaza, Paris	Place de l'Hotel de Ville. City Hall plaza, Paris	Place de l'Hotel de Ville. City Hall plaza, Paris	Place de l'Hotel de Ville. City Hall plaza, Paris
Place de l'Hotel de Ville. City Hall plaza, Paris	Place de l'Hotel de Ville. City Hall plaza, Paris	Fountain, Paris, France	Suburbs, Paris, France
Pont de l'Archevêché, Paris	Pont de l'Archevêché, Paris	Obelisk, Paris, France	Pont Notre-dame, Paris, France
Pont Notre-dame, Paris, France	Approaching Paris, France	Seine, Paris, France	Palais "Monnaie de Paris", France
Palais "Monnaie de Paris", France	Palais "Monnaie de Paris", France	Horseman, Paris, France	Seine, Paris, France
The Institute of France, Paris	The Institute of France, Paris	Seine, Paris, France	Louvre, Paris, France
Bronze reduction of the Lion of Belfort in Place Denfert-Rochereau, Paris	Bronze reduction of the Lion of Belfort in Place Denfert-Rochereau, Paris	Paris, France	Musee de Orsay, Paris, France
Palais Bourbon, Paris, France	Pont Alexandre lll, Paris, France	Nymphs of the Seine relief, Pont Alexandre lll, Paris, France	Fames, Pegasus, Pont Alexandre lll, Paris, France
Fames, Pegasus, Pont Alexandre lll, Paris, France	Seine, Paris, France	Paris, France	Louvre, Paris, France
Eiffel Tower, Paris, France	Wooden art, Paris, France	Seine views, Paris, France	Windows, Paris, France
Seine views, Paris, France	French flag, Paris, France	Sunset, Paris, France	Lamp posts and bridge, Paris, France
Bridge art, Paris, France	Sunset, Paris, France	B&W, Paris, France	B&W, Paris, France
Church, Paris, France	Sunset, Paris, France	Square Saint Michael, Paris, France	Square Saint Michael, Paris, France
Latin Quarter, Paris, France	Paris, banks of Seine - World Heritage Site, France	The Magnificent Eiffel, Paris, France	Tour de Eiffel, Paris, France
Gargoyle, Paris, France	Seine and the Eiffel, Paris, France	Eiffel under an arch, Paris, France	Eiffel Tower at night, Paris, France
Beam from the Eiffel, Paris, France	Eiffel in Sparkles, Paris, France	The Eiffel is unique, Paris, France	Rain or Shine, Eiffel shines, Paris, France
The Eiffel from the Seine, Paris, France	Sun rays from the Eiffel, Paris, France	Eiffel bottoms up, Paris, France	Eiffel shadow on Paris, Paris, France
The Palais de Chaillot, Paris, France	La Défense - The business district, Paris, France	Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, Paris, France	The church at the Invalides, Napoleon's tomb, Paris, France
Radio France building, Paris, France	Hôtel Concorde Lafayette, Paris, France	Arc de Triomphe in Black and White, Paris, France	Gustave Eiffel, Paris, France
Pont de Bir-Hakeim, Paris, France	Bir-Hakeim Arch, Paris, France	Statue of Liberty, Isle de Grenelle, Paris, France	Statue at Les Invalides, Paris, France
Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, Paris, France	Sacred Heart at night, Paris, France	View from the tower at Montmartre, Paris, France	Inside the Sacré Coeur, Paris, France
Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France	Ambient light lights up the Arch, Paris, France	Arc de Triomphe from the inside, Paris, France	Cast of the head of a figure from François Rude's sculpture "La Marseillaise", Paris, France
Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France	Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Paris, France	Champs-Élysées, Paris, France	Toyota Showroom on the Champs-Élysées, Paris, France
Patterns of Paris, Paris, France	Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Overlooking the Orsay Museum, Paris, France	Pierre-Auguste Renoir: Fernand Halphen Enfant, 1880, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France
Pierre-Auguste Renoir: Bal du moulin de la Galette, 1876, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Edouard Manet: L'avasion de Rochefort, 1880-1881, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Gustave Caillebotte: Raboteurs de parquets, 1893, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Henri Fantin Latour: Un atelier du Batignolles, 1870, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France
James Ensor: L'Intrigue, 1890, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Jean Francois Millet: Des Glaneuses, 1857, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Rosa Bonheur: Labourage Nivernais, 1849, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Paul Serusier: Les Laveuses a la Laita, 1892, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec: Le Lit, 1892, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Claude Monet: Le Pont d'Argenteuil, 1874, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Georges Rochegrosse: Le Chevalier aux fleurs, 1894, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Vincent Van Gogh: La Meridienne La Sieste, 1890, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France
Van Gogh, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Henri Edmond Cross: Les Iles d'Or, 1891, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Gustave Courbet: Les Chevreuil chasse aux coutes, 1867, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Marble drapery, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France
Auguste Rodin: The Thinker in the Porte De L'Enfer, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Auguste Rodin: Ugolin, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Degas: Dancing girl, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France	Psychedelia, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France
Orsay clock	Practicising at the Orsay	Education at the Orsay	Elephant statue, Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France
Notre Dame de Paris, France	Notre Dame de Paris at night, Paris, France	Parisian lights in front of Notre Dame, Paris, France	Interior - Notre Dame de Paris, Paris, France
Inside the Notre Dame de Paris, Paris, France	Prayers at the Notre Dame, Paris, France	The South Rose Window, Notre Dame, Paris, France	Stained Glass window, Notre Dame de Paris, Paris, France
Follow the light, Notre Dame de Paris, Paris, France	The Cloister stained glass windows, Notre Dame, Paris, France	Chappelle Saint Denis, Notre Dame, Paris, France	Angel, Notre Dame, Paris, France
Statue outside Notre Dame, Paris, France	View of the Sacred Heart from Notre Dame, Paris, France	Pantheon, Paris	Cloud of smoke rising from its many chimneys, Paris
Pyramid of the Louvre under a moonlit sky, Paris, France	Musée du Louvre, the Grand Louvre, Paris, France	Cour Carrée of the Louvre museum, Paris, France	Statue of Louis XIV, the Sun King, Paris, France
Louvre Pyramid, Black and White, Paris, France	The Cour Puget and the Cour Marly, Paris, France	Inside the Louvre, Paris, France	Patterns of Paris, Louvre
Courtyard, Louvre, Paris, France	Dizzying steps, Louvre, Paris, France	Night sky, Louvre, Paris, France	Louvre Entrance
Louvre itself is a museum	Veronese: The Wedding Feast at Cana, 1562- 1563, Louvre, Paris, France	Dominique Ingres: La Grande Odalisque, Louvre, Paris, France	Theodore Gericault: The Raft of the Medusa, Louvre, Paris, France
Eugene Delacroix: Liberty Leading the People, Louvre, Paris, France	Nicolas Poussin: Rape of the Sabine Women, Louvre, Paris, France	Eustache Le Sueur: Plan de la chartreuse de Paris, Louvre, Paris, France	Public performance at the Louvre, Louvre, Paris, France
Reading from a play, Louvre	Leonarda da Vinci: Mona Lisa, Louvre, Paris, France	Leonarda da Vinci: Mona Lisa - the smile that follows you around, Louvre, Paris, France	Agasias of Ephesus: Borghese Gladiator, c. 100 BC, Louvre, Paris, France
Winged Victory of Samothrace, Greece, c. 190 BC, Louvre, Paris, France	Antonio Canova: Cupid and Psyche, Louvre, Paris, France	Michelangelo: The Slaves, The Dying Slave, Louvre, Paris, France	Jan Vermeer: The Lacemaker, Louvre, Paris, France
L'église de St-Marie-Madeleine, Paris, France	Chairs inside the mary Magdelene Church, Paris, France	Interior - L'église de St-Marie-Madeleine, Paris, France	Place de la Concorde, Paris, France
Pont Neuf, Paris	Banks of the River Seine, Paris, France	Palais de Justice, Paris	Latin Quarter, Paris
Cheese Crepe, Paris	Salad and French Fries, Paris, France	Yummy dessert, Paris	Fauchon - a must visit in Paris
Indian Jalebis, Paris	French Coffee, Paris, France	Street Performer, Paris	Parisian, Paris, France
Air France, Paris, France	I love Paris, Paris, France

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