Arriving at Charles de Gaulle exhausted in the late morning Frank and I decided to get a day room at the airport. We made a brief half hour stop there to take quick showers and leave our luggage while we went out into Paris by train. 
After our flight from Montreal to Paris was delayed by nearly five hours, the full day that we thought we would have in Paris was now shrunk down to a few hours but we definitely made the most of what time we did have. On my first trip to Europe ten years ago the very first thing I did was go to see the Eiffel Tower so I wanted that to be our first stop in Paris. Despite the gloomy weather, the intricate lattice work soaring into the sky was just as impressive as the first time I saw it.
Built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair, the tower currently stands at 1,063 feet (324 meters). It was a technological marvel when it was built and held the honor of being the tallest building in the world for forty-one years. To give the tower added illusion of height, three paint colors are used on the tower with the darkest shade on the bottom and the lightest up top. The Eiffel Tower was never intended to be a permanent structure, but due to its usefulness for communications it was allowed to stand and has since become an iconic French symbol.
After seeing the Eiffel Tower we made a little stop at a crêpe stand for savory crêpes filled with ham, cheese and mushrooms. They were absolutely delicious! We ate them on a park bench along the Seine and then headed to the Bir-Hakeim metro station.
We got off the metro at Charles de Gaulle Étoile and headed to the Arc de Triomphe which honors the men who fought and died on behalf of France during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. Built at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the arch stands 146 feet (50 meters) tall and is covered with relief sculptures representing important moments and battles from the French Revolution and Napoleonic era. Located at the center of a roundabout with twelve roads radiating out, it is a truly impressive sight.
Frank and I bought tickets and went up the narrow spiral steps inside the arch to see the gallery at the top of the arch and the view from the top.
The views from the top of the Arc de Triomphe were amazing, even with the cloudy day. Looking directly below, we could look straight down the famed Champs-Élysées. We also had a great view of the Eiffel Tower and could even see the Sacré-Cœur Basilica perched on the top of Montmartre in the distance.
Back on the subway, we got off at Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre. Due to our shortened day we sadly had no time to visit the Louvre but we did walk by to enjoy the architecture. The history of the Lourve Palace dates back to a twelfth century fortress and has undergone many expansions and renovations over the years, most recently adding the glass pyramid and underground lobby in 1989. After centuries as a royal palace, during the French Revolution it was decided to use the Louvre as a museum to showcase national art treasures.
With over the two hundred years of history as an art museum the Lourve is one of the largest museums in the world with an impressive collection. On my previous trip I spent a full day wandering the galleries and saw only a fraction of the museum. Perhaps I'll get to go back and explore it again on another trip.
From the Louvre we decided to next visit Notre Dame Cathedral and walked along the Seine to get there instead of taking the Metro. Along the way we had beautiful views of the river and Île de la Cité.
Along the Seine, book stalls (bouquinistes) line the banks selling books and prints. When not open for use the stalls close up as boxes that can be locked. It was fun to browse as we walked and we stumbled upon some vintage reproduction fruit postcard prints that I had purchased at one of the stalls ten years ago. At only 50 Euro cents per card, I couldn't resist adding a few more to my collection.
We arrived at Notre Dame Cathedral late in the afternoon. Begun in 1163 and taking nearly two hundred years to complete, it was among the first buildings in the world to utilize flying buttresses enabling the soaring vaulted ceilings. Considered one of the best examples of French-Gothic architecture, the cathedral is truly impressive with amazing stone carvings and stained glass. Wandering around it was truly impressive.
After visiting Notre Dame it was time to catch the train back to the airport to catch our flight to Rome. At the airport there was a Ladurée shop and I couldn't resist buying a trio of macarons in black currant, strawberry and chocolate. They were amazing and a sweet way to end our whirlwind time in Paris.
