Day One : Paris City Tour

Paris is the capital city of France. Known worldwide as the City of Light (la Ville Lumiere); built on an arc of the River Seine, it is divided into two parts: the right bank to the north and the smaller left bank to the south.

The Arc de Triomphe is a monument that stands over 50 metres in height and is 45 metres wide. It is the second largest triumphal arch in existence (North Korea built a slightly larger Arch of Triumph in 1982 for the 70th birthday of Kim Il-Sung). It was commissioned in 1806 after the victory at Battle of Austerlitz by Napoleon Bonaparte.

The Eiffel Tower is a metallic tower built on the Champ de Mars, and is nowadays the most famous landmark and symbol of Paris. At the time it was built (1889), it was the tallest building in the world and remained so until 1930. Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, it is a premier tourist destination.

The Place du Trocadero and its terraced gardens viewed from the Eiffel Tower. Entrance fee to the Eiffel Tower :
1st Floor : Euro 4.10
2nd Floor : Euro 7.50
Top Floor : Euro 10.70

When Adolf Hitler visited occupied Paris in 1940, the lift cables were cut by the French so that he would have to climb the 1,665 steps to the summit. He chose to stay on the ground.

The National Assembly or Congress known as the Bourbon Palace, was built as a private residence in 1722, was later bought by King Louis XV, and changed hands several more times until the government reacquired it and converted it to legislative use in 1827.

From 15 November 2004 to 17 April 2005, the Miyazaki-Moebius Expo in France will pay tribute to Japan's Hayao Miyazaki and France's Moebius. And for the first time in the world, two major artists reveal their personal drawing collections. Did you know that Hayao Miyazaki is one of the 100 most influential people in the world rated by TIME magazine ? Miyazaki is one of only 12 Asians on the list.

Notre Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris) is dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus. The west front of the cathedral is probably its most notable feature - with its 69-metre (228-feet) tall towers and a line of statues of the 28 Kings.

Notre Dame de Paris has one of the great early Gothic-style. Getting away from the dark, massiveness of Romanesque architecture, the new Gothic was indeed the light showing at the end of the Medieval tunnel.

France's 'kilometre zero', the reference point for distances along the highways starting in Paris, is situated in the square in front of the cathedral.

Interior of the cathedral, the immediately striking feature is the dramatic contrast between the darkness of the nave and the light falling on magnificent colored-windows.

Montmartre, a sacred hill is the highest point in Paris. The Basilica of Sacre Coeur, a wedding cake-like church, was built at the top of Montmartre Hill in the nineteenth century. The basilica was designed by an architect named Abadie in a Romano-Byzantine style, and was constructed out of Chateau-Landon stone, which whitens as it ages.

At a close walking distance from the basilica, there is a nice market made famous by street painters.

I was lucky that I could stay in my friend's apartment during my visit to Paris. The apartment offers a great panoramic rooftop view over Paris. Thanks David.

We (in picture; David, Martin and Jim) had dinner in Bastille. The classic seafood stew with clams was nice.

Florist near the apartment.