Pyramid Entrance Entrance to Tuileries Tuileries Gardens
Friday morning, we walked to the Louvre, about 3 blocks away. The main entrance to the museum is through a glass pyramid - but unfortunately, the staff of the museum was on strike the day we arrived.
As we walked down from the Louvre, we entered the Tuileries Gardens, designed in the 17th century. At the end of the gardens is a giant ferris wheel, erected to celebrate the millennium. This huge attraction is lit at night and offers a birds-eye view of the city from its enclosed cars.
Continuing down the Champs Elysées, one passes through several other garden areas with small food kiosks, parks and benches for the weary - and Al was definitely starting to get weary at this point - and we're just getting started! Another feature of the walk were the frequent les toillettes - public toilets in parks and even along the streets. But remember to carry a few franc coins - they aren't free and do not accept Visa or American Express!
The Arc de Triomphe was completed in 1836 and is situated in the middle of the Place Charles de Gaulle at the end of the Champs Elysées. Twelve avenues radiate from the Arc at the center. Access to the Arc is via an underground passage to avoid pedestrian dismemberment by the frenetic traffic in the circle. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (WW-I) is located at the base of the Arc.
From the Arc, it was time to experience Le Metro, Paris's extremely efficient and ever-present subway system. We boarded the metro to head to the New York University Center where Jay takes his classes and checks his e-mail. Housed in a large townhouse not far from the Eiffel Tower, the Center accommodates about 400 students studying abroad.
After getting lunch at a pizza shop near NYU Center, we spent a while shopping in the area nearby. The streets are lined with patisseries (sweet shops), candy shops, and clothing stores. A number of the candy shops had huge creations of chocolate on display, including the huge chocolate turtle below.
From here, we headed on toward the Palais de Chaillot and Paris's trademark Eiffel Tower. The Tower, originally built for the Universal Exhibition in 1889, was meant to be temporary but has since become the symbol of Paris.
After stopping by the American Library, we wearily headed back via Le Metro to the hotel, and took a brief nap. Marie had wanted to get back to Notre Dame, since on Good Friday, they bring out the putative Crown of Thorns which King (Saint) Louis IX had purchased. This crown is kept at Sainte-Chapelle, but brought our for veneration only on Good Friday at Notre Dame. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get back in time. We headed out to find a meatless meal for Good Friday evening. After meandering around the area for a half hour or so, we settled on Pizzeria Valentino, a small Italian restaurant across the street from the hotel, for a good pasta dinner. With "Mad Cow" ever on the brain, we had to find things other than beef and veal during our stay in Paris. Fortunately, every restaurant, bistro, and cafe posts their menu outside. And with Jay along, we could even figure out what the different items really were! Another tip Jay gave us is that you can always order carafe d'eau to get a pitcher of tap water, as opposed to mineral water.