Where We Have Been - Europe - France

We arrived at Gare de Lyon in Paris on the TGV, having spent the better part of a day travelling across Spain and France from Barcelona. There’s something faintly surreal about watching the scenery scream past while sitting in comfort, the speed display calmly announcing that you’re travelling well in excess of 200 kph.

Once in Paris, we jumped straight onto an open-top tour bus to explore the inner city, orientate ourselves, and get our first real look at the beautiful city that is Paris. Our initial impressions were of a place that felt clean and well maintained—and therefore clearly loved.

Navigating the road chaos that swirls around the Arc de Triomphe—caused in no small part by the twelve avenues radiating out from it—was mildly disconcerting. Scooters would vanish around the front of the bus only to pop out again on the other side. We’d thought the Italians were crazy drivers, but the Parisians may just give them a run for their money.

After a trip down the Champs-Élysées, we found ourselves in the Place de la Concorde (Harmony Square), with its beautifully maintained sculptures and fountains.

The square is renowned as the site where many famous figures were publicly executed during the French Revolution, including King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and Maximilien Robespierre. At the time, it was temporarily renamed the Place de la Révolution (“Revolution Square”).

The centrepiece of the Place de la Concorde is the Luxor Obelisk—a roughly 3,500-year-old ancient Egyptian monument, decorated with hieroglyphics praising the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II, and gifted to France in 1829.

David has developed a bit of a thing for Obelisks during our travels. He’s delighted in spotting them in all sorts of places—not just Paris, but also Istanbul, London, New York, Rome, and even Vatican City.

After spotting the Eiffel Tower from the open-top bus, we made the mandatory trip to visit. In fact, we went back a second time so we could properly wander around beneath it—the weather hadn’t been great on our first attempt. The queues for tickets, and then for the first lift, were pretty long, but by that stage we’d come to expect that in Europe, so we stuck it out.

Eventually we caught the first elevator—an interesting ride up one of the legs—to the second floor, then the next lift straight up to the third floor, which is as high as the public can go, for a proper look over Paris. It took a while to finally reach the top (damn queues), but the views—towards the Musée national de la Marine, down the Champ de Mars, along the Seine, and far beyond—made the Eiffel Tower well worth the effort.

We visited Notre-Dame (the Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris), one of the many churches we saw across Europe—because the history and architecture really are things you have to experience in person. It wasn’t the most impressive cathedral we visited, but it’s still a must-see, if only for its fame—thanks in no small part to Quasimodo and Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.

After leaving Notre-Dame, we stumbled across a stunning building with an impressive set of entrance gates. As we explored a little further around the corner, we noticed a long queue to get in. Assuming it must be worth a look, we joined the line. As we inched closer to the front, Carolyn pointed out that some of the people were in suits and carrying briefcases. Then we spotted police—and what looked suspiciously like a metal detector at the door.

Carolyn went forward to see exactly where we were heading. Turns out we’d carefully queued for the side entrance to the Palais de Justice… a court. Time to exit stage left!

While in Paris, we also took the opportunity to visit Les Invalides, calling in to see Napoleon’s tomb, and the Musée d’Orsay—an extraordinary former train station that now houses a vast collection of Impressionist masterpieces, including works by Claude Monet, Renoir, Cézanne and van Gogh, to name just a few.

It was outside the Musée d’Orsay where we had an experience we still joke about to this day. Feeling a bit hungry, we decided to try Nutella crêpes from a nearby stall—basically a crêpe stuffed with a significant amount of Nutella. Needless to say, they were delicious… but unbelievably messy. We ended up resembling a pair of toddlers, Nutella smeared all over our faces and hands, laughing our heads off while standing among the animal sculptures.

We took a day trip to the Palace of Versailles, which is absolutely worth doing. The opulence the rulers of that era lived under is difficult to comprehend—let alone describe in words. It’s truly something that needs to be seen first-hand.

The Hall of Mirrors, the Gallery of Battles with its immense paintings, the Royal Bedrooms, the fountains (including the Apollo Fountain), the statues, and—last but by no means least—the vast, impressive Gardens. Quite frankly, a single day isn’t enough to do it justice.