Bonjour!

That’s right. Our next trip was to Paris, France! We had a great time. Lots to see and do!

This is the Sacre-Coeur. This was built as a memorial to the 58,000 French soldiers killed during the Franco-Prussian War. It took 46 year to build.

The Paris Opera House.

Academie Nationale De Musique.

The Musee du Louvre. The Louvre contains more than 350,000 priceless objects. So needless to say, we didn’t get through the entire museum. We did see the Mona Lisa though! The museum was built as a fortress by King Philippe-Auguste in 1190.

Close up of the Louvre.

Us near the Le Seine River.

This is the Sainte Chapelle. This Gothic church was built by Louis IX for his holy relics. Some of his relics included pieces of the True Cross, nails from the Crucifixion and a few drops of Christ’s blood. He paid almost three times as much for them as he paid for the construction of Sainte Chapelle itself.

Inside the Sainte Chapelle. Musicians from the Paris Ochestra were holding a classical concert that night in the Chapelle. We were told that the acoustics in the church are the best in the city. We ended up staying for the concert—it was fabulous.

The 15 stained-glass windows depict Biblical scenes from Genesis through to the Crucifixion.

Sunset picture – Eiffel Tower in the background.

Palace de Chaillot.

Eiffel Tower at night. It really was a sight to see! We ended up going to the very top.

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame. The heart of the country, both geographically and spiritually, it stands on the Ile de la Cite—where Paris was first born. Settlers first came to this island on the Seine River in 300 BC.

Another view of the Notre Dame.

We climbed 422 steps of the Notre Dame to get to the very top. Excellent panoramic views of Paris from here.

Us at the top of Notre Dame.

Another view from the Notre Dame. Here is the Eiffel . . .again.

A picture of the Seine River.

The Arc de Triomphe on the famous Champs-Elysees. This Arc was built for Napolean’s victory at the battle of Austerlitz in 1805. This also marks the end of the Tour de France.

At a café on the Champs-Elysees.

Close up of the Arc.

Us next to the Eiffel.

This is the Musee d’Orsay. It is a beautiful museum set in an old converted railway station.

Here I am checking out Blue Waterlillies by Monet.

Here’s Wes checking out Van Gogh.

And of course, lunch in the museum. Great picture of me stuffing my face. But this marked the end of our weekend trip to Paris. After lunch, we headed home!