Paris
After an overnight flight and a quick taxi ride to the hotel to drop off our bags, we were off and running.
Our first stop was the Sacré Coeur Basilica which sits atop a large hill called Montmartre. The walk from the metro stop to the top of the hill wasn't particularly long, but it was a very steep uphill climb.
"The Sinking House of Montmartre" sits next to the basilica. Tilting the camera to make the grassy slope seem flat leads to this silly but iconic image.
So many stairs!
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Sacré Coeur Basilica
We found a rooftop restaurant for lunch, a vantage point that afforded us great views of the nearby Opera House and Sacré Coeur Basilica in the distance. From there we could see the bell tower housing a 19-ton bell, one of the world's heaviest.
The Opera House
The Palais Garnier, completed in 1875, was built for the Paris Opera and is still used for performances today. It's known for its opulence and for being the setting for the novel The Phantom of the Opera.
Galeries Lafayette
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Galeries Lafayette is the biggest department store chain in Europe, and the flagship store is near the Opera House in Paris. It's big and expensive and very crowded - but dazzling!
Musée du Parfum
We saw Fragonard Perfume shops in many parts of the city, but this one included a small museum dedicated to the history of perfume. Erin participated in a workshop here. Her tour included an impressive display of perfume bottles, some dating back two millennia. She learned the preferred French way to apply perfume is to spray it above your head then let it rain down, resisting the urge to rub which can cause the top notes to fade.
The class learned how perfume makers "build" perfume. Using vials of top notes, heart notes, and base notes, class participants created their own personal fragrance.
This "perfume organ," with tiers of ingredients around a balance, was once used when mixing and testing fragrances.
Happy birthday, Mom!
At the end of a busy day, we met up with our friends Bob and Nora. The honor bar in the hotel lobby gave us the perfect opportunity for a birthday toast.
Our dinner at Le Plomb de Cantal included a smoked salmon salad (yes, there is salad under that enormous piece of salmon). Nora's dinner came with pomme aligot, cheesy mashed potatoes that were poured onto her plate with great theatrical flair.
The Hôtel National des Invalides
After a good night's sleep, we were ready to begin our second day of exploring.
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Our first stop was Les Invalides, a collection of museums and monuments where we learned about France's military history.
The beautiful dome of the chapel sits above Napoleon's tomb.
Altar of the Cathédrale Saint-Louis-des-Invalides
Tombs of Napoleon Bonaparte and his brother Joseph
Musée Rodin
This museum houses a large collection of Rodin's works as well as works he collected from other artists. Many of the sculptures are placed outdoors in natural settings.
Of course, the main reason to visit the Rodin Museum is to see works by the famous sculptor, but we also enjoyed the lovely garden, a peaceful place for a stroll in the midst of this busy city.
Sidewalk cafés are everywhere in Paris. We had lunch at one near the Eiffel Tower where French onion soup, invented in Paris, was an obvious choice.
Arc de Triomphe
This is the result of asking for a candid shot of a conversation.
This is what a real conversation looks like.
Champs-Élysées
As a teenager in 2006, visiting the flagship Sephora store on the Champs-Élysées had been a big thrill for Erin, so we were excited to return. This was our mom and daughter pilgrimage.
We made it back to the hotel in time for our tour orientation meeting. Our guide Gregoire was charming, and everyone in the group seemed friendly and eager to explore. We were all looking forward to a great trip together.
Les Catacombes de Paris
In the 18th century, hundreds of miles of old limestone quarries beneath the city were used to create an ossuary. The bones of six million Parisians line about a mile of the tunnels. The bones were originally dumped in piles but were later artistically arranged.
Day Three in Paris began with more museums.
Musée de l'Orangerie
Monet's water lily pond at his estate in Giverny inspired nearly 300 paintings, some of which were large format like the eight panels at the Musée de l'Orangerie. Monet intended this collection to provide "an illusion of an endless whole, of a wave with no horizon and no shore."
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Monet
Gaugin
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Manet
Musée d'Orsay
Van Gogh
Renoir
Cézanne
Built in an old railway station, the Musée d'Orsay is the best place in Paris, and probably the world, to view impressionist and post-impressionist art. These works by French artists are prime examples.
The beautiful Passage du Grand Cerf is one of Paris' best known covered passageways, lined with shops and cafés.
It rained off and on during our last day in Paris, but we found a cute sidewalk café on the Île de la Cité for lunch where we could sit under an umbrella.
Bright blue sky and puddles at the Luxembourg Palace attest to the day's fickle weather.
While Linda was taking a walk, a film crew saw her and came running. It's unclear what kind of interview they were hoping for, but they were clearly disappointed to realize their target spoke only English. The fact that they assumed they'd found a French woman means attempts to fit in had been successful!
After three very full days of sightseeing, we were too tired to go more than a block for dinner. Crêpes at La Crêperie de Josselin hit the spot.
Restoration work continues on the Notre Dame Cathedral after a devastating fire in 2019. Even in her unfinished state, she's a sight to behold.
Next up: The Loire Valley