Paris - Day 2

After an exhausting first day in Paris, one would think that it would be difficult to wake up early, but it definitely wasn't.  I had my alarm set for 0700 and woke around 0640 and couldn't go back to sleep.  So, I started getting ready and Brett moseyed out of bed around 0730.  We met the owner of the Hotel Valadon, Victor, and his adorable dog Othello.  I had read on TripAdvisor that Othello begged for your breakfast.  Being a dog lover, this was actually one of the reasons I chose Hotel Valadon, and I wasn't disappointed.  As promised, Othello begged for our croissants, rolls, jam and French Press coffee!  After chatting with Victor for a while (spoke GREAT English), we began our LONG day of sightseeing.

We began walking to the Eiffel Tower, just about 10 minutes from the hotel.  We took several pictures and ran into a Japanese couple in the park who asked if we could take their picture.  Second to Victor, these two spoke better English than most people we encountered in Paris.  The Eiffel Tower opened at 0930 and we lined up in 40 degree weather with 20 mph winds around 0845.  It was COLD, but well worth the wait.  By 0930, there was a L-O-N-G line formed behind us with only about 20 people in front of us!  We made it to the top after two elevator rides.  It was even COLDER and WINDIER, but definitely worth it.  The views were incredible!

We then paid to get on our tour bus that would take us all around Paris with English commentary.  By 1100, we were at Notre Dame.  Entrance is free and the church is amazing.  It is gothic in style and very ornate.  The stained glass is truly amazing.  We walked through the church quietly and decided not to wait in line to go to the top.  We didn't feel like we had ANY spare time!

After visiting Notre Dame, we hopped back on the bus and headed to Musee d'Orsay.  This is a former train station that was converted into this amazing gallery of impressionist art.  This is my favorite style, so I was very excited.  Brett really enjoyed the Monets, Van Goughs, and Manets and took several pictures.  After touring the highlights of the museum, we headed back to the bus and made our way toward the hotel, stopping at the Arc de Triomphe for some photos.

Finally, lunchtime...3 p.m.  Since we were very rushed, we decided to stop by a grocery store by the hotel and pick up some sandwiches and chips for lunch.  We found  pretty much the EXACT same sandwiches from the Louvre at 1/4 of the price!  We walked to the hotel to rest our feet and eat lunch.  After about an hour, we headed back out.

Next stop, Hotel des Invalides.  This is a HUGE building with a gorgeous gold dome that houses wounded French soldiers and, most importantly, Napoleon Bonapart's tomb!  The domed church itself is amazing with a beautiful alter.  But, Napoleon's tomb definitely stole the show!  You just can't imagine how huge these things are unless you're standing right there.  It's impossible to describe!

Around 5:00, we headed to the Opera area for some shopping.  But, after a day full of walking (and some really uncomfortable shoes on my part), we were very tired and just did some window shopping and browsing.  I think this is about the time we coined the phrase "my dogs are barking."  Don't ask me, but Brett says it means that your feet are tired/hurting.  I thought it was funny and we said it countless times on this trip!

Shortly, we headed to the hotel to freshen up and had dinner at a random restaurant in the neighborhood.  Brett had a Long Island Iced Tea (surprisingly, they knew EXACTLY what he was talking about...I guess alcohol is a universal language?) and I had a refreshing glass of chardonnay.  The restaurant had several different types of food and (luckily) our waiter spoke some English!  Brett ordered a hamburger...go figure...and I had some roasted chicken.  We both chose French fries as our side...it just seemed wrong, but they are FRENCH aren't they???  After splitting some chocolate cake, we headed back to the Eiffel Tower for some nighttime pictures and called it a night shortly thereafter.