Gay Paree

After our three days in Amiens we went back to Lille to drop off the car and then caught the high speed train to Paris.

We only had three nights in Paris so we didn't have a lot of time to get around and see the city sites.  However, we did manage a couple of iconic spots......

The Louvre

This is a painting called the Lacemaker by Johannes Vermeer. It was painted about 1670. We thought it was more captivating than this other very famous one by Leonardo da Vinci which was painted somewhere between 1503 and 1506.

The poor old Mona Lisa has had a pretty interesting life! She was stolen in 1911 by an Italian patriot who actually worked at the Louvre - when you know how much art Napolean pinched from the Italians you can kind of understand why. Fortunately, she was recovered a few years later when he tried to sell her to another gallery. Then in the 1950s vandals separately threw acid and a rock at her which did some damage that had to be repaired. Unfortunately, she is now kept behind glass which doesn't enhance the experience of seeing her for the first time. In fact, I had to pinch this photo from the internet because our photos were rubbish!

Also in the Louvre are the State Apartments of Napolean. The chandeliers alone are simply amazing! Napolean sure had a serious inferiority complex!

The Arc de Triomphe

We walked the 284 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and enjoyed 360 degree views of the city. This site is also the location of the tomb of the France's Unknown Soldier.

The Champs Élysées

After the Arc de Triomphe we walked the 2 kms of the Champs Élysées which was quite beautiful with all the Christmas lights. Store holders were in the process of setting up their Christmas stalls so unfortunately it was to early to do any Christmas shopping.

Eiffel Tower

As it was over 700 steps to get to level four of the Eiffel Tower and because there was a two hour wait for the one lift which was operating, we decided to enjoy the view from the ground.

Near to the Eiffel Tower we found a sports store selling golf tees in the shape of the Eiffel Tower. Guess what Grandad Rumble got for Christmas!