Paris: Simply monumental

One of Paris's many carousels

When you've been dreaming of Paris as long as I have, you amass quite a list of must-see monuments along the way. My poor husband could hardly begin to imagine what unique brand of torture I had in store for him. Luckily, he broke in his shoes before the trip began, thus avoiding the inevitable blisters from walking many, many miles each day. (I was not as fortunate, but I powered through nonetheless.)

We started our first full day in Paris with a trip to the Arc de Triomphe - Napoleon's present to himself following his victory at Austerlitz in 1806. After a short ride on the Metro, we emerged at the Place Charles de Gaulle - home to that massive traffic circle. One might be tempted to play their own version of tourist Frogger to get to the Arc, but it's not necessary. There are a couple tunnels that run under the road and provide safe access for pedestrians.

For 9,50 euro, you can trek to the top of the Arc where you'll find some great views of Paris (especially the nearby Eiffel Tower). We arrived shortly after the Arc opened for the day (10 a.m.) to avoid the majority of the crowds. It worked as there were only a handful of people to contend with.

Looking up from underneath the Arc de Triomphe

It's a long walk to the top - some 300 steps up a spiral staircase (the elevator is reserved for those that really need it). If you're not winded by the time you get to the top of the Arc, I applaud you - you're in great shape. Apparently, we are not. But the views more than made up for all the huffing and puffing we did to get up there.

Back down on the ground, we marveled at the size of the monument and all of the intricate carvings that decorate it. It really is a thing of beauty.

Arc de Triomphe at night

Later in the week, we returned to see it all lit up at night. There are far fewer crowds at night so you can get some nice photographs, including those iconic ones where the traffic is blurred around the Arc. Sweet.

From the Arc de Triomphe, it's an easy walk to the Eiffel Tower so we headed there next, walking through one of Paris's nicest neighborhoods to the Place du Trocadero. The Trocadero- surrounded by the impressive Palais de Chaillot-  offers the best view of the Eiffel Tower. As a result, the plaza is always buzzing with tourists. If you're looking for a miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower (in literally any size), this is the place to go. You'll have your choice of guys to buy it from. Don't accept their first offer - they will always go lower. If one doesn't, another will undoubtedly be waiting in the wings to make you a deal.

View of the Trocadero and the Palais de Chaillot
from the Eiffel Tower

We pre-purchased our tickets (14,50 euro) to go up the Eiffel Tower. It was a gamble because we didn't know what the weather would be like, but it sure saved us a ton of time in line. Instead of waiting 2-3 hours, we just showed up at our assigned time and up we went.

If you're a first-timer like we were, you really ought to go all the way to the summit. It involves two separate elevator rides (the second of which seems to go through the clouds), but it's so worth it. On a clear day- which we were fortunate to have- you can see for more than 40 miles - all of Paris and then some. For photos, however, the "second" floor has the best views (as well as a whole lot more space to breathe). Nothing will give you a better idea of where things are in Paris than these views. They also serve to illustrate my first blog posting point about the sheer size of some of these buildings. They're huge!

The Eiffel Tower by night

Like the Arc de Triomphe, we returned later in the week to see the Eiffel Tower all lit up. On the Metro ride there, I realized that it's not just visitors that are enamored by the tower. It's beloved by many a Parisian as well. Case in point - when the train emerged from the dark of the subway tunnel to cross the Seine, every head in our car - every single person - turned to look at the glowing icon outside. It's hard to fathom that this iron lady was only supposed to stand for 20 years. Almost 125 years after it was finished, the Eiffel Tower remains the most enduring symbol of Paris.

When we got to the Trocadero it was one big party. A crowd had gathered to catch the tower sparkling (which it does for five minutes at the top of every hour after dusk). A man was playing a pan flute. Vendors were launching glow-in-the-dark Eiffel Towers in the air. I could have set up camp there for the remainder of our trip if there wasn't still more to see.

The Notre-Dame

No trip to Paris is complete without visiting the Notre-Dame. This 850-year-old Gothic cathedral sits on an island in the middle of the Seine, in the heart of the oldest part of Paris. The church was immortalized in popular culture with Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and it is not difficult to imagine Quasimodo lumbering along the South Tower to ring the bells.

While you can't ring the bells, you can go up into the towers and you totally should. Yes, you'll endure a spiral staircase with 400 increasingly narrow steps, but you'll also get up close and personal with those carved critters at the top.

Chimera

For 8,50 euro, you'll trek up in small groups of 15-20 (probably the least amount of people you'll ever be surrounded with at a Parisian tourist site). The views are great, but you'll likely have a hard time taking your eyes off the gargoyles and chimera.

Gargoyle

These personality-packed creatures - many half man, half beast - are fascinating. I've always thought of the statues as gargoyles, but you'll learn that the gargoyles are actually the carvings that act as water spouts. The chimera are the bigger pieces scattered around the towers as decoration. Each one was so unique and looked as though it had its own story to tell.

After you lumber back down the stairs, make sure to check out the inside of the Notre-Dame as well. (It's free!) There are services held most of the day so you'll want to be as quiet and respectful as possible - though it may be hard to quell the oohing and ahhing with all the spectacular sights like when the sun hits the Rose Window just right and the stained glass lights up in a glorious display of brilliant colors.

Inside the Pantheon

The Pantheon isn't the tourist magnet that the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame are, but it's a worthy diversion. Located in the Latin Quarter, the Pantheon was built in mid-1700s. It was originally intended as a church dedicated to Saint Genevieve, but amidst the French Revolution, it became a mausoleum housing some of France's most distinguished people. Today, you can visit the crypts and pay your respects to the likes of Hugo, Marie Curie and Louis Braille.

Upstairs, don't miss the Foucault pendulum - physicist Leon Foucault's 1851 experiment to easily demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. Although the current pendulum (which wasn't on display when we were there) is a replica, the original (a 62-pound brass covered lead bob) did hang from the building's domed roof until 1855.

A note about Paris's popular monuments: While we felt totally safe throughout our trip, we were also well armed with information about how pickpockets and scammers target tourists in the city. Around the Arc de Triomphe especially, you'll likely encounter young girls adamant about you signing their petitions. Think it through - what nob is going to accept a petition signature from a foreigner? None. It's a scam. While you're busy signing the petition, someone could easily use the distraction to pick your pocket. Also keep an eye out for men that want to "give" you a souvenir bracelet or ring made of string (we saw this most around the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre). Once that "gift" is secured, a demand for payment will follow. Refuse to pay and you're sure to be harassed into doing so. In some cases, the routine is also a front for pickpockets. In all instances, it's best to just be firm with your no and keep walking.

An awe-inspiring alcove inside the Notre-Dame.