Monuments in Paris France

On the eastern edge of the Palais des Concorde, here is where the guillotine was set up. Marie Antoinette was the most famous prisoner escorted here to be decapitated. During the revolution, 1343 people were beheaded. A few blocks north of the Palais des Concorde is a column similar to that of Trajan’s column in Rome, this one is made of 1,250 blondes cannons captured by Napoleon, the statue on top represents Napoleon dressed as a Roman Emperor.

Nearby another figure is not a statue but a terrific street mime so well done that most people can’t believe he’s not carved from stone until he moves. Heading back to the Palais des Concorde, walking east we pass through the Tuileries to a giant Ferris wheel and the pond where Parisians and tourists alike relax while children play with their boats.

Going south is another pond at the Luxembourg Palace built for Catherine de Medici to remind her of the petty Palace her birthplace in Florence. And back to our main tour, we’ll come to another Arc de Triomphe in almost a straight line from its sister and atop this one where once the four horses stolen by the Venetians from Constantinople and then lauded by Napoleon. Straight ahead is the glass pyramid marking the home of the worlds most famous woman, the pyramid is the main entrance into the Louvre.

First, the pyramid and the fountain that caused a great deal of controversy. But if the Parisians haven’t accepted it yet, the children sure have as they love the splash through the puddles. Our next stop is the Opera House where the Bastille once stood. It’s a bit of a walk so I suggest you take the Metro.

You can hit all of the major spots in Paris by Metro and the stations almost always bear the name of the most significant monument nearby. Of course in exchange for traveling fast underground, you’ll miss a lot of the sites. I think the best way of seeing Paris is on foot or by Double Decker Bus or certainly a boat ride on the River Seine.

Cruise boats pass under a number of bridges. To me the most beautiful of all of Paris bridges is the Alexander the 3rd bridge named after the Russian Zaar laid foundation stone in 1896. It’s festooned with cherubs and nymphs, gilt statues, winged horses and beautiful lamps. Both day and night, these lamps mark the way to the Les Invalides with it’s gold dome built by Louis the 14th for his wounded and homeless soldiers. Napoleons tomb is right beneath that gold dome.

The bridge is beautiful at night with its many glowing lamps, the fore water of the Seine reflected below and cruise boats passing underneath. Paris at night and during the day, an excellent way of seeing the beautiful architecture along the way and especially the architecture of Notre Dame is to cruise past just relaxing and enjoying the scenes unfolding before you. Here you have a chance to see the Cathedral and all the filigree stone work.

Then you can back track to see the tower and the courtyard with the statue of Charlemagne and jotting from almost every part of the upper portion and under the eves are the Grotesque Gargoyles. Their shape and form will probably to remind people unseen terrors of the underworld so that they will hurry into the interior to ask God for protection and of course make a contribution to his servants.

Just across the bridge is the left bank with hundreds of bookstalls and souvenir stands, even a Lithogram seeming to be from almost this exact site and to look on many more Parisian you have to have a Barrett. And now we can plunge into what is become a very trendy area the yellow umbrellas marked the dining area of the oldest restaurant in Paris opened in 1686. It was close to the military academy and Napoleon used to dine here and leave his hat until he came up with enough money to pay his bill.

In a Latin quarter a jazz clubs, discos and outdoor cafés catering to the students of the sorbonn and after lunch this young lady heads back to the sorbonn on her bike and we continue on our river cruise.

We’re now wading our way toward Mister Eiffel’s Tower. There’s hardly a place in the city where the Eiffel Tower doesn’t dominate the skyline although it was derided by the Parisians in the late 19th century as a monstrosity. Over the years it has become the symbol of Paris.

If you want someone meet you there in the Eiffel Tower away from the crowds waiting to go up have to meet you at the Carrousel but be sure and tell them which one. There are two, one on each bank are the Seine. Ethnic groups gather here from all over Europe. Some bring their costumes and perform for the crowds to help pay for their trip into the city and also to comeback again because as the song says “How you gonna keep them down on the farm after they have seen Paris?”

A view from the top is spectacular, definitely worth riding up in that 100-year old elevator. There’s real magic about Paris especially at night. The hustle and bustle and the traffic is still there but with the glow from the lamps reflected in the fountain and the Arc de Triomphe serving as a backdrop at sunset, you’re enchanted by the atmosphere that is so French and so totally Parisian.