Paris Day Two: Morning

Day two of my trip to Paris was a complete whirlwind. I think we probably walked about 15 miles and literally canvessed the entire city. We started at Notre Dame, then head to the Eiffel Tower. From there we went to see the Arc de Triumph and walked our way all the way down the Champs Elysees to Obelisque. After dinner we continue to Moulin Rouge and Sacre Coeur.

One of the supreme masterpieces of Gothic art, Notre Dame cathedral still evokes Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (or for Disney enthusiast such as myself, the Disney movie Hunchback of Notre Dame). You stand in awe, taking in the majestic and perfectly balanced portals. In front of the cathedral you'll find a plaque on the ground that is the exact middle point of the city of Paris. People from all over the world come here to make a wish and hope the magic of the city makes it come.

After leaving Notre Dame I walked West along the Seine River, crossing Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris. From the bridge, the view down the river is one of my most memorable. After traveling the complete length of the river that is within the city limits, I arrived at the one and only Eiffel Tower (known to the rest of the world as Tour Eiffel). It was absolutely surreal to be standing face-to-face with the 10,000-ton dark metal structure. It was constructed for the World Exposition in 1889 and was the world's tallest building until the chrysler Building went up in new York in 1930. Its hard to believe that this iconic symbol of France was first thought to be an eye-sour by the French people. Unfortunately, the lines to trek to the top were too long for our time-crunched visit, so we decided instead to break for lunch nearby and enjoy some famous French cuisine. I had croque madame (open-faced grilled ham/cheese with a fried egg on top) and it was delicious! Of course I had to have a crepe too and that was equally as good :)