Paris Day 6: Put on Your Walking Shoes Once More

On day six of our vacation we put on our walking shoes and took to the streets of Paris and saw as many sights as we could pack into the day. We checked out of the hotel, but as with many hotels you can store your luggage for the day so you can still tour the sights. Many of the museums and points of interest will have bag checks, but with all the metro rides and miles walking it was faster keeping our bags at our hotel. Since we were staying in the Bastille neighborhood we past by this tower many times a day marking the Place de la Bastille. The Colonne de Juillet (July Column) marks the spot of Bastille, a fortress (built to protect France from England during the Hundred Years' War) later turned prison. The Bastille was home to more then just the French, but also was a headquarters of sort for other conquering countries of the time including England and Burgundy. Originally other monuments were to be erected at this square as early as 1792, but with the constant changes and revolutions the final monument wasn't completed until 1840.

We turned to Rick Steves once more and his downloadable app for the iPhone and listened to the many city walks for Paris in order to see the sights on our last day. We started with doing the Marais Walk right at Place de la Bastille. We enjoyed the architecture of the buildings, the unique shops, and watching the people of the streets go about their daily lives. 

European Travels: Day 5 Eiffel Tower and Versailles

On day 5 we made big plans to knock out two big attractions, the Eiffel Tower and taking the train out to the town of Versailles and touring the sprawling Château that was home to the French Monarch. We may have worn our shoes out with all the miles we put on that day, but it was well worth the venture outside the city to see such a beautiful and historic landmark.

Once again we made sure to follow Rick Steves' suggestion in his book about getting to the Eiffel Tower early to avoid the long lines. I think regardless of what time you get to the park, there will be a line, just make sure to grab a coffee and a pastry while you wait.

A Little Distraction From the Real World: Continuing Our European Vacation Day 4

As the country faces struggles over the government shutdown and the uncertainty of whether those we elected can ever agree, I think it is time to get another post up about our wonderful trip we took this summer to Europe. It could be I just wish we were back on vacation, and not worrying what services will be closing and whether or not we will have money come pay day...I know military members will get paid come this pay day, but it is just a band aid for a much larger looming problem. So lets have some fun happy pictures and experiences from this summer.

So early in the morning we headed out of London leaving from Kings Crossing via the EuroStar (aka the Chunnel). It really wasn't a long trip, a little ear popping from time to time, and we were out of the Chunnel and cruising through the French countryside. Once arriving in Paris we swapped out our money, bought the Paris Museum Pass, and jumped onto the metro and quickly found our hotel (Hotel Bastille Speria, once again picked out of the Rick Steves' Travel Guide "Paris") in the Marais District. After dropping off our belongings at the very comfortable and ideally located hotel we ate lunch at one of the many cafes in the neighborhood. We tried risotto for the first time before heading for the metro once again for some time at the Louvre. Buckle your seat belt for another overload of pictures...almost all of it artwork.