Tuesday,
August 27
Le
Havre is marketed as the port for Paris though it is 120 miles (2-3 hrs away). We have never been to Paris and with the
distance from the port and with so much to see, we decide to take a ship’s tour
to Paris for just an overview of all it has to offer….in a relaxing way. This
has been a busy vacation for us and not having to stress about getting to Paris
on our own and then trying to see ‘everything’ is just what we need.
We’re
not fans of ship-sponsored tours and the day starts out with just what we
dreaded…sitting in the ship’s theater for an hour as we wait to board our bus
to Paris. The excursion we are on
actually had 9 buses of about 50 people each.
We settled in on Bus #6.
The
drive to Paris (almost 3 hours) actually seemed to go by fairly fast. We had a guide who pointed things out along
the way and soon we were driving through the streets of Paris.
According
to our itinerary, this is what we saw. I
snapped photos as we drove along (if it was on our side of the bus) but will later
have to match most of the photos to pictures in guide books as some I can’t
remember what is what.
“Upon
arriving in Paris we will pass the Place de l’Opera, often called the Hub of
the Universe, and considered one of the most elegant streets in Paris with its
well-designed houses and luxury shops.
The Pont Neuf, “The new bridge” now the oldest bridge in Paris, and the
Louvre Museum. We will see Tuleries
Gardens, a stretch of French style alleys and lawns along the Seine River right
bank, before reaching Place de la Concorde, the largest square in Paris.
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| Charles DeGaulle statue |
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| Napoleon is buried in the church under the dome |
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| The Opera House |
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| Louvre Museum |
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| Princess Diana Memorial |
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| Pont Neuf--once called the new bridge it is now the oldest bridge in Paris |
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| I like lamp posts |
There will have a magnificent photo opportunity
of the Eiffel Tower.” This was probably
the best part of the whole day—taking a photo with the Eiffel Tower in the
background. Can’t believe we finally
made it to Paris!
The
tower was built for the World’s Fair in 1889, held in celebration of the French
Revolution in 1789. In 1916 the first
wireless telephones were tested on the tower.
Although
meant to last for the duration of the World’s Fair, the Eiffel Tower still
stands today, despite all protests that this huge “object” wouldn’t fit into
the architecture of Paris. Today it is a
beloved landmark of Paris and is the symbol of the “City of Light”.”
“For
lunch we embark on a leisurely cruise along the scenic Seine aboard the
trimaran, “Bateaux Parisiens.” We dine
on a French lunch while enjoying a musical performance as we cruise by the
Palais de Challot, the Eiffel Tower, the Musee d’Orsay, the Louvre and the Ile
de la Cite, one of two natural islands in the Seine within the city of
Paris. Also in sight are the
Conciergerie, a former royal palace on the west of the island, the Palais de
Justice and the Cathedral of Notre Dame.”
It was a relaxing time on the cruise and was a nice way to see famous
landmarks.
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| Our route along the river |
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| What the river cruise boat looks like |
After the river cruise we had about 45 minutes to wander around the world famous street, Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe.
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| Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from WWI. Flame has been lit since then, even during the German occupation of Paris. |
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| An aerial view |
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| The Champs Elysee street |
The
Champs Elysee is considered the most beautiful avenue in the world. It has luxury specialty shops, cafes, and of
course, the Arc de Triomphe, the world’s largest triumphal arch.
 |
| Modern buildings mixed among the old. |
Then it
was time to reboard the bus for the long drive back to the port. It was a very long day. It was a good introduction to Paris and we
don’t regret doing it, but next time we will have a small group with a guide
and hopefully see and learn more about this magnificent city. The ship tours are just too crowded with
people—we’ve been spoiled with our small group experiences through private
excursions.
We do
love Paris and we will be back!
So glad you got to see Paris. I am not a fan of ship tours either. We have two planned on our upcoming trip and the rest private tours. Going to try to do Istanbul on our own (with Rick Steve's help). Your trip sounds amazing. Hope we can meet again to see and hear more about it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sue.....I'll be anxious to hear all about your upcoming cruise, too. We hope to do that one someday!
ReplyDelete