Paris - The City of Lights

Vivian and Jack had fall break so we decided to take a four day trip to Paris.  The autumn colors were in peak season so the car ride there and back was beautiful.  We stayed at a hotel that was located just down the street from the Arc de Triumph and one street away from the Champs Leysees.  We packed a lot into four days, but we all had a blast.  Here are some pictures we would like to share with you.

Day 1 - We arrived to the city of Lights in the evening so we took advantage of seeing the city at night.  We headed to the Arc de Triumph and then to the Eiffel Tower.

The tomb of the unknown soldier under the Arc.  

The candle is lit every night in honor of the soldiers who fought in WWI. 

Soon after we got there, the Eiffel Tower had flashing random lights all over.  

Vivian took a video of the lights on the Eiffel Tower.  

See video below...

Day 2 - It was a great day to tour the city on a double decker bus...

 Church with Napoleon's tomb located inside.

The oldest bridge in the city.  If you look close you can see small faces carved into the stone right underneath the railing.

Notre Dame Cathedral

 One of the famous rose stained glass windows

 We loved the beautiful hand carved wood all around the church which spoke of familiar Bible Stories.

What an amazing structure!  We were able to go to the top and enjoy the views of the city.  

This was a bird's eye view of one of the lines to go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower.  

We were glad we bought tickets ahead of time!

We made it to the Louvre Museum later that day to see the famous Mona Lisa.  

The pictures didn't turn out that well because the portrait is covered with glass.  

See video below...

Day 3 - The Palace of Versailles

The palace was started by King Louis the XIII as a hunting lodge.  

Louis the XIV transformed and expanded it, moving the court and government of France to Versailles in 1682.  It is now the biggest palace in the world.  It is a royal chateau filled with gold & silver, marble, beautiful paintings, and royal furnishings.

There are over 200 fireplaces in the palace!

The King's bedchamber

The Hall of Mirrors

This hall was where the Treaty of Versailles was signed.  

They also had many balls and some weddings in this room. 

The Fountain of Appllo

  You can now rent golf carts, ride bikes, or take a row boat to explore the gardens.

On our way home, we stopped at a bakery in the city of Versailles for a French pastry snack!

When we got back to Paris we went to the top of the Arc de Triumph at night.  

This is the round about around the Arc de Triumph. 

Mark had the pleasure of driving through a few of these including this one.

This is the Avenue des Champs Elysees at night.

There was a nice view of the Eiffel Tower from the top of the Arc de Triumph.

We also took a boat tour at night on the Seine River through the city of Paris.

Day 4 - Grevin Wax Museum, Sacre-Coeur, & Moulin Rouge

 Grevin Wax Museum - wax figure of Leonardo Da Vinci, painter of the Mona Lisa.

The Pope and Mother Theresa

We drove by the Moulin Rouge on our way to Sacre-Coeur.

Sacre-Coeur - Basilica on a high hill in Paris with beautiful views of the city.