I started at the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees. One thing I didn't realize was how big the arch was. It is enormous! And the traffic circle, well, let's just say that if you thought the Waco traffic circle was bad, just wait until you meet this bad boy. Another thing I did not realize was that you could climb stairs up to the top of the Arc. So I did! Talk about a view! You could see pretty much all of Paris spread out beneath you. Pretty cool. (Of course, I'm sure that Eiffel Tower will be even better...).
After coming down, I strolled down the Champs Elysees, enjoying the scenery and the other tourists. It is quite a street! I took the Rue de Franklin Roosevelt down to the French Army Museum and Napoleon's Tomb. Napoleon is buried in an Army hospital. If you think that sounds unglamorous, think again. It is an Army hospital built by Louis XIV, the Sun King, who did not do anything second class. The building is quite impressive as is Napoleon's crypt.
After looking at Napoleon's Tomb, it was time for dinner. I stopped off at a cafe and enjoyed a traditional Parisian menu, where you have several options over three different courses. I had a first course of a walnut salad, a second course of roast chicken with french fries, and a dessert course of chocolate cake in a cream sauce. Tres bien!
I ended the day with browsing through the Orsay Museum. The Orsay (open late for Thursdays!) is best known for its collection of Impressionist paintings that is housed in a refurbished train station! As Claude Monet is one of my favorite painters, I was in hog heaven! It is a great museum and the paintings are absolutely amazing.
After the Orsay Museum, I had just enough strength to drag myself back to my hostel and fall asleep. Tomorrow: the Notre Dame cathedral and the Louvre!
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