 |
View of Paris from
Sacré-Cœur |
After leaving Iceland, we went to France as I wanted Hailey
to see the beautiful Chateau de L'Isle-Marie in Normandy, but first a stop in
one of my favorite’s cities in the world: Paris.
Of course, I wanted Hailey to see where I lived when I
attended La Sorbonne and also to see the beautiful University, and all the
touristic places that the city offers.
We walked along the Seine. Obviously, we visited the Eifel
Tower, the Champs Elysees, the Arch of Triumph, Sacré-Cœur, Montmartre, and
Notre Dame, which breaks my heart to write about that beautiful church with so
much history in it, and now some parts of it do not exist any longer due to the
fire of a few days ago.
Anyway, only a week is not enough to see everything, so we
saw the touristic places and spend a lot of time eating.
We did not take any of the free tours because I know all the
places and its history, so, I was her guide.
Sometimes I forget that most
people don’t walk as much as I do. Hailey was dead tired by the time we finish,
well, we finish every day because she was tired, I could have kept on going.
La Sorbonne
In 1253, Robert de Sorbon at the request of Louis IX opened a
college for 16 needy students who wanted to study theology. The university
comes to be known as La Sorbonne, and nowadays, it is still one of the most
prestigious universities not just in Paris but in the world. The excellent
reputation since the beginning transformed from humble beginnings into a
prestigious and elitist university dedicated to culture, science, and art.
La Sorbonne taught many of the great philosophers and masters
of theology and history. One of the most famous alumni is Marie Curie,
physicist and chemist and the first woman professor at the university.
The baroque architectural style of the building is
magnificent, as is the Auberge de Jeunes, where I used to live.
The Eifel Tower
The government wanted an impressive monument at the entrance
of the World Fair from May 6 to October 31, 1889, to celebrate the 100th
anniversary of the French Revolution.
Gustave Eiffel designed and built the tower which measures
324 meters = 1063 feet.
You can climb 1710 steps, or you can take an elevator to the
top. The views from the top are magnificent, and you can see all of Paris at
your feet.
Montmartre
 |
| Sacré-Coeur |
Montmartre is the second largest hill in Paris, with the
largest hill being in Belleville. It is situated in the 18th arrondissement,
and it is better known for the white-domed Basilica of Sacré-Cœur and the
Moulin Rouge.
The Basilica of Sacré-Coeur was built in the Roman-Byzantine
style between 1876 and 1910 to commemorate the defeat of France in 1871 during
the Franco-German War and as a tribute to the 58,000 lives lost.
You can take the funicular to the top, climb the stairs, or
you can walk
through the back streets while seeing the picturesque bohemian neighborhood.
And that is what we did. Once you reach the church, you will have a magnificent
view of Paris. On the way down we walked the 222 steps through the Louise
Michel public garden.
From there a visit to the famous and pictures cobblestone
square of the Place du Tertre, filled with artist stalls painting and selling
their beautiful colorful paintings. This square was the main square of a
medieval village before being part of Paris.
And to the Moulin Rouge, the birthplace of the can-can. The
Moulin Rouge is also famous for the paintings of Toulouse-Lautrec who was a
French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist, and illustrator whose
paintings of the provocative and sometimes decadent dance is among the
best-known painters of the Post-Impressionist period as Cézanne, Van Gogh, and
Gauguin.
You need a whole day to walk through Montmartre as there is
much to see.
