The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile is one of the most famous monuments in Paris.
To get to it you certainly don’t try crossing over the street – far too dangerous – but we go underneath the road and through a tunnel and up and out at the base of the Arc. … and yes, to get to the top, you have to climb a very steep and arduous spiral staircase … don't know how many steps - probably a couple of hundreds I'd say ... but up once there, Paris is at your feet …
The Arc was commissioned in 1806 after the victory at Austerlitz by Emperor Napoleon at the peak of his fortunes. Laying the foundations alone took two years and the final construction finished in 1836.
After
that bit of exercise it was time for lunch and a stroll down Av des Champs-Elysees
– which is really just another smart tree-lined boulevard featuring all the
glamorous rag-trade shops – not particularly interesting until you get to the
very end and enter into a lovely big park – Jardin du Tuileries - and on into
Place de la Concorde and onto the forecourt of the Louvre – and after that
looooong walk – with a coffee break in
the middle - it was home for this tourist ...
Hope you enjoyed that walk ... we'll do some art tomorrow ...
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.