We took the EuroStar train from London to Paris (a three hour journey via the Channel Tunnel). We made our way to our hotel (l'hotel Turrene), via the Metro, without too much trauma. I didn't get my dream balcony with a view of the Eiffel Tower, but the room did have big French windows. We dropped off our luggage and went off to find the Eiffel Tower. This wasn't too difficult since our hotel was only a couple blocks from the Champs de Mars (the park at the base of the tower). We opted to take the stairs up to the second level viewing platform (120m up). We did take the elevator to the very top (280m). What a view!

Our first destination on Day 2 in Paris was Notre Dame. We were pleasantly surprised to find that there was no admission fee. It's an amazing place! The Rose windows are spectacular and the exterior carvings are fascinating. We also climbed the 402 steep, narrow, spiraling stone steps to the bell towers. Our next stop was the Louvre. The Place is immense! We went in search on the Mona Lisa. Along the way we passed hallways lined on both sides with incredible Renaissance paintings. The sheer size of some of these paintings was amazing; the subjects were nearly life sized. The building itself is a work of art - frescos on the ceiling, ornate architecture. Besides the Mona Lisa, we found a few other familiar exhibits: the Venus de Milo, more Parthenon sculptures, etc. We wandered through galleries until closing time. However, before we braved Paris rush hour on the Metro, we took a little time to relax on the fountains in the Louvre's courtyard. Then, to finish our day off, we bought a baguette, cheese and a bottle of wine and had a picnic on the Champs de Mars with a view of the Eiffel Tower.

After the Louvre we were a little weary of formal museums, so for our third day in Paris we headed out to the Palace of Versailles. It is about 30 minutes from Paris by train. The main part of the Chateau was very crowded. We rented audio tours so we could learn a little history of all those King Louis'. We also took additional tours through the King's and Queen's private apartments, which were much less crowded. The entire palace decoration is incredibly ornate. Almost every room has a painted ceiling and beautifully carved mouldings, even in the stairwells. The hall of mirrors in impressive, especially considering that mirrors (of any size) were very difficult to make in the 1700's. The gardens and grounds were equally as impressive and beautiful. We ended up spending the whole day at Versailles.

Before we headed back to London we still had a couple hours to cram in some more sight seeing. Les Invalides (the site of Napoleon's tomb) was just down the street from our hotel, so we went down and had a look (didn't go in), then we walked down rue Cler (a pedestrian street with open air markets, pricey choclatiers, cheese stores and wine stores). We went from there to the Arc de Triomphe, and climbed the 284 steps to the top. Our efforts were rewarded with a great view. Finally, we briefly strolled down the Champs Elysées, narrowly dodging a huge crowd of South Korean fans celebrating their team's quarter final win in the world cup.

	The Eiffel Tower
	A view of one of the legs - from the first viewing platform
	Looking up to the second platform
	A view of the very top from the second viewing platform
	The Champs de Mars - l'Ecole Militaire is the building at the end of the park
	- Don't drop the camera!
	Hanging out on the Eiffel Tower
	The view from the very top of the tower, you can see Les Invalides.
	- The Eiffel Tower at night
	More shots of the Eiffel Tower at night
	Notre Dame Cathedral
	Some of the carvings on the front facade
	One of the Rose windows
	Inside Notre Dame
	One of Notre Dame's bells
	A Gargoyle on the bell tower
	The Louvre
	One of the ceilings in the Louvre
	Relaxing on the fountains at the Louvre
	Feedings the sparrows by the Louvre
	The Palace of Versailles
	A painted ceiling in Versailles
	The Hall of Mirrors
	One of the many bed chambers
	Another bed chamber
	The Back entrance of the Palace
	The grounds of Versailles
	The Dome of Les Invalides
	Ave de Breteuil (in front of Les Invalides)
	Rue Cler
	The Arc de Triomphe
	Views from the top of the Arc de Triomphe
	A view of the Champs Elysese from the top of the Arc (that's the Louvre was down there)
	The views towards La Grande Arche de la Defence (the open square-like building in the far center
	Football fans celebrating South Korea's quarter final World Cup win