D
Darkstar416
Guest
The Sched:
Amsterdam I
Amsterdam II
Rotterdam I
Rotterdam II
Paris I
Paris II
Paris III
Paris IV
Paris V
London I
London II
London III
So my plan of releasing one city per week hasn't quite fared as planned, but low and behold here is the City of Lights...
What can one say in a few paragraphs about Paris? It's almost an impossible task and I'll generally let the photos speak for themselves.
Paris is quite possibly the most impressive city we've ever seen. Rich, stylish, urban, urbane, historic, modern, confident, dense, massive, creative, monolithic and diverse. It's a perfect storm of urbanity that is hard for any other to match. It oozes urban perfection and the people there know it.
We've all heard about the problems in the périphérique, but it's quite easy to ignore all that (as sadly I think most Parisians do anyway). Anyway, enough from moi, here is Paris...
A Dutch commuter train on the next track. This is taken in Schiphol (Amsterdam) Airport's train station as we awaited our train to Bruxelles.
Gare du Bruxelles Midi. We switched here to a French high-speed Thalys train to complete the journey to Paris.
Bienvenue à Paris!
We started with some obvious stuff our first full day in Paris. Amazingly the roundabout circling L'Arc de Triomphe has no lanes!
L'Arc de Triomphe!
Paris is pretty close to being perfect. Pretty darn close.
Under L'Arc de Triomphe.
Almost at the top of the Arc. F.Y.I...L'Arc de Triomphe is the largest triumphal arch in the world!
Ahh we made it! Looking south-east down the Champs Elysées towards Place de la Concorde.
La Tour Eiffel!
Looking south towards Tour Montparnasse (which we'll go up later in the trip).
Looking south towards La Tour Eiffel.
I love this picture!
Looking north-west down Ave de la Grande-Armée / Ave Charles de Gaulle which perfectly terminates at La Défense's "Grande Arche."
Looking north-east towards Montmartre (the highest point in the city).
Back on the ground, another view down the Champs Elysées (a.k.a. "La plus belle avenue du monde!"
WARNING: Lots of Tour Eiffel pics to follow...
La Tour Eiffel (cont.)
La Tour Eiffel (cont.)
La Tour Eiffel (cont.)
La Tour Eiffel (cont.)
Some typically beautiful Parisian bulidings line Parc du Champ de Mars.
A view down Parc du Champ de Mars.
The south end of Parc du Champ de Mars features Le Mur de la Paix (The Peace Wall).
La Tour Eiffel viewed through Le Mur de la Paix.
Les Hôtel National des Invalides.
Les Hôtel National des Invalides is a complex of buildings in the 7th Arrondissement containing museums and monuments relating to France's military history.
Inside Les Hôtel National des Invalides.
Les Hôtel National des Invalides (cont.)
Les Invalides also features Napoleon's tomb. Yup, the little guys in there!
He rests in a cocoon of six coffins!
Pont Alexandre III (Paris' most elegant bridge) and Le Grand Palais (both built for Expo 1900).
Lights on Pont Alexandre III.
Pont Alexandre III (cont.)
La Rivière Seine, Pont Alexandre III et Le Grand Palais!
L'Assemblée Nationale (France's Parliament).
Dan seems to think that Gianni Versace might have lived here.
The pedestraian-only Passerelle de Solférino.
Paris II is here.
Amsterdam I
Amsterdam II
Rotterdam I
Rotterdam II
Paris I
Paris II
Paris III
Paris IV
Paris V
London I
London II
London III
So my plan of releasing one city per week hasn't quite fared as planned, but low and behold here is the City of Lights...
What can one say in a few paragraphs about Paris? It's almost an impossible task and I'll generally let the photos speak for themselves.
Paris is quite possibly the most impressive city we've ever seen. Rich, stylish, urban, urbane, historic, modern, confident, dense, massive, creative, monolithic and diverse. It's a perfect storm of urbanity that is hard for any other to match. It oozes urban perfection and the people there know it.
We've all heard about the problems in the périphérique, but it's quite easy to ignore all that (as sadly I think most Parisians do anyway). Anyway, enough from moi, here is Paris...
A Dutch commuter train on the next track. This is taken in Schiphol (Amsterdam) Airport's train station as we awaited our train to Bruxelles.
![DSCN1501.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1501.jpg)
Gare du Bruxelles Midi. We switched here to a French high-speed Thalys train to complete the journey to Paris.
![DSCN1504.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1504.jpg)
Bienvenue à Paris!
![DSCN1504A.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1504A.jpg)
We started with some obvious stuff our first full day in Paris. Amazingly the roundabout circling L'Arc de Triomphe has no lanes!
![DSCN1509.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1509.jpg)
L'Arc de Triomphe!
![DSCN1510.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1510.jpg)
Paris is pretty close to being perfect. Pretty darn close.
![DSCN1511.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1511.jpg)
Under L'Arc de Triomphe.
![DSCN1513.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1513.jpg)
Almost at the top of the Arc. F.Y.I...L'Arc de Triomphe is the largest triumphal arch in the world!
![DSCN1515.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1515.jpg)
Ahh we made it! Looking south-east down the Champs Elysées towards Place de la Concorde.
![DSCN1516.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1516.jpg)
La Tour Eiffel!
![DSCN1517.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1517.jpg)
Looking south towards Tour Montparnasse (which we'll go up later in the trip).
![DSCN1518.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1518.jpg)
Looking south towards La Tour Eiffel.
![DSCN1519.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1519.jpg)
I love this picture!
![DSCN1520.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1520.jpg)
Looking north-west down Ave de la Grande-Armée / Ave Charles de Gaulle which perfectly terminates at La Défense's "Grande Arche."
![DSCN1521.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1521.jpg)
Looking north-east towards Montmartre (the highest point in the city).
![DSCN1522.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1522.jpg)
Back on the ground, another view down the Champs Elysées (a.k.a. "La plus belle avenue du monde!"
![DSCN1523.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1523.jpg)
WARNING: Lots of Tour Eiffel pics to follow...
![DSCN1524.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1524.jpg)
La Tour Eiffel (cont.)
![DSCN1525.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1525.jpg)
La Tour Eiffel (cont.)
![DSCN1526.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1526.jpg)
La Tour Eiffel (cont.)
![DSCN1527.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1527.jpg)
La Tour Eiffel (cont.)
![DSCN1528.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1528.jpg)
Some typically beautiful Parisian bulidings line Parc du Champ de Mars.
![DSCN1532.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1532.jpg)
A view down Parc du Champ de Mars.
![DSCN1533.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1533.jpg)
The south end of Parc du Champ de Mars features Le Mur de la Paix (The Peace Wall).
![DSCN1534.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1534.jpg)
La Tour Eiffel viewed through Le Mur de la Paix.
![DSCN1535.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1535.jpg)
Les Hôtel National des Invalides.
![DSCN1536.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1536.jpg)
Les Hôtel National des Invalides is a complex of buildings in the 7th Arrondissement containing museums and monuments relating to France's military history.
![DSCN1537.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1537.jpg)
Inside Les Hôtel National des Invalides.
![DSCN1543.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1543.jpg)
Les Hôtel National des Invalides (cont.)
![DSCN1543A.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1543A.jpg)
Les Invalides also features Napoleon's tomb. Yup, the little guys in there!
![DSCN1546.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1546.jpg)
He rests in a cocoon of six coffins!
![DSCN1546A.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1546A.jpg)
Pont Alexandre III (Paris' most elegant bridge) and Le Grand Palais (both built for Expo 1900).
![DSCN1554.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1554.jpg)
Lights on Pont Alexandre III.
![DSCN1559.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1559.jpg)
Pont Alexandre III (cont.)
![DSCN1560.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1560.jpg)
La Rivière Seine, Pont Alexandre III et Le Grand Palais!
![DSCN1562.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1562.jpg)
L'Assemblée Nationale (France's Parliament).
![DSCN1563.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1563.jpg)
Dan seems to think that Gianni Versace might have lived here.
![DSCN1564.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1564.jpg)
The pedestraian-only Passerelle de Solférino.
![DSCN1565.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/Darkstar416/Paris/DSCN1565.jpg)
Paris II is here.