Paris » Gallery #1: Arc de Triomphe & Eiffel Tower
Day 5 of our trip – 3 June 2002:
Day 4 of our trip was a travel day, as we took the Eurostar – a.k.a. the Chunnel Train – from London to Paris. Stupidly, we didn't take ANY pictures of our train ride, which was actually quite beautiful: the English countryside was quaint and serene, just as i remembered it and Michelle had imagined it would be. Once we were through the Chunnel and in France, though, it was as if we had transferred trains: after cruising leisurely through England, we were suddenly zooming through the French countryside at a breathtaking 300 kph (180 mph)! The Eurostar was even more impressive than the Japanese bullet-train – and that's saying a LOT.
We rented an apartment for our week in Paris, on the west side of the city between the the Arc de Triomphe and La Défence, near the Bois de Boulogne. We highly recommend renting an apartment as a more affordable alternative to staying in Parisian hotels. Having an apartment suite where we could cook was very nice, and cheaper than eating out every night. Paris has scads of terrific restaurants, we know, but going out to eat with a baby was taxing and, we're sure to the French, trés gauche. Not that we didn't try eating out, though. We did go out one night with one of my old housemates from U of M and his wife, who are living in Paris, to a very nice restaurant, where Gabriel proceeded to poop all over John's pants during dessert. (Sorry, no photos of that, either.) More on this adventure next gallery.
Anyway, our first day in Paris was a full one: we started off by visiting the two closest major tourist sights to us, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. Pretty self-explanatory. Click on any of the thumbnails to see the larger picture.
 The Arc de Triomphe. |
 The family in front of the Arc. |
 The inner arches of the Arc de Triomphe. |
 Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc. |
 View of Paris to the west from the Arc, toward La Defense. |
 View of Paris to the southwest from the Arc. |
 View of Paris to the south from the Arc. |
 View of Paris to the southeast from the Arc. |
 View of Paris to the southeast from the Arc. |
 View of Paris to the northeast from the Arc. |
 Approaching the Eiffel Tower from the south. |
 Closeup of the Eiffel Tower from the base. |
 The family on the second level of the Eiffel Tower. |
 View of Paris to the west from the Eiffel Tower. |
 View of Paris to the north from the Eiffel Tower. |
 View of Paris to the east from the Eiffel Tower. |
 View of central Paris from the Eiffel Tower. |
 The Dôme Church from the Eiffel Tower. |