On day 3, we did a lot of exploring at some of the most recognizable Parisian attractions. We began the day at the Louvre Museum and spent about three hours there. Our Paris book advised to enter the museum through the Carrousel du Louvre entrance located at 99 Rue de Rivoli to avoid the long lines to get in from the pyramid. If you decide to do this as we did, you will be able to exit through the pyramid and take pictures of the museum as well as Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, which Napoleon had built in 1805 and later decided it was too small and commissioned a grander one down the road.
This museum, which was a fortress in 1190, contains some of the most important art collections in the world. It would be impossible to see it all in one day. Our recommendation is to choose the artwork you wish to see beforehand and have a plan in place with a map of the museum handy. Some of our favorite pieces of art were the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Egyptian tombs.
(Under the main pyramid entrance. Ticket booths are located here)
(Venus di Milo)
(Egyptian Artifacts)
(This is a florescent light exhibit in the original foundation of the Louvre when it was a fort)
(Saint Mary Magdalene)
(Oval stairs in the Louvre)
(Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss)
(Large sculpture room)
(Mona Lisa)
(Winged Victory of Samothrace)
After the museum, we grabbed some lunch in a nearby bakery on Rue de Rivoli and sat down on a bench at the Jardin des Tuileries (just west of the Louvre) to people-watch and admire the spring blooms. We picked up two quiches and a huge meringue that were both delicious!
(Thats one big meringue!)
(Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel)
(Jardin des Tuileries)
After lunch, we continued to walk west towards the Arc du Triomphe. On the way, we saw the Place de la Concorde and took pictures by the two ornate fountains. In the middle of the two fountains is a tall obelisk. From here you have an unobstructed view of Champs Elysees and the Arc du Triomphe.
We continued on Champs Elysees for some shopping and a coffee break. Here we visited Louis Vuitton, Ladurée ( this bakery was founded in 1862 and it was the pioneers of French macaroons) and Cartier.
(Place de la Concorde)
We continued on Champs Elysees for some shopping and a coffee break. Here we visited Louis Vuitton, Ladurée ( this bakery was founded in 1862 and it was the pioneers of French macaroons) and Cartier.
We finally arrived to the Arc du Triomphe just in time to see the sun setting over Paris. To get there, you must take the underground tunnel in front of the Cartier store. It costs about 9 euros to get up to the top.
It is interesting to get a bird’s eye view on how the avenues in Paris stem from this massive arch. Although the view of the city is better from the Eiffel Tower, you get a closer look at Champs Elysees from the Arc du Triomphe.
(View of Montmartre in the distance)
It is interesting to get a bird’s eye view on how the avenues in Paris stem from this massive arch. Although the view of the city is better from the Eiffel Tower, you get a closer look at Champs Elysees from the Arc du Triomphe.
(Stairway to go up and down Arc du Triomphe)
(Doesn't the sky look fake! It was 10:30pm believe it or not!)
We finished the night by having a satisfying dinner at Chez Clément on Champs Elysees. While it was not the best meal we had in Paris, the food did not disappoint. To start, we had escargot in garlic and butter. Mr. P had poultry three ways - a herb baked chicken, seared duck breast and duck confit. Mrs. P had three different cuts of beef. For dessert we had profiterols filled with ice cream and chocolate sauce!
Overall, it was a great day in Paris! We walked a lot, ate a lot and explored a lot! Tune in to hear all about our forth day in Paris on our next blog post!
