Hitting hot spots while freezing

Miles trod: 7.14
Steps stepped: 19,300
Crepes consumed: 6 total

Had another busy day today. We're at the point in the trip where we feel we have to start knocking some of the big stuff off the list or we might not get to it.

The day started early with a trip up 284 spiriling stairs to the top of the Arche de Triumphe. Napoleon sure thought a lot of himself to have that huge monument built in his honor. It's almost humerous, knowing how he ended, to see the stone facade depicting him in a Caesar-like situation complete with laurel wreath crown.



View from the top:



Let me tell you. Going up to the top was excellent exercise. Those staircases that sprial up FOREVER are tough to navigate, if you can believe it. Mostly because they're so discouraging. You can't tell how much progress you've made simply because the scenery never changes.



And going down is no easier. Sure, you aren't gargling your heart by the time you get to the bottom, but you can be very dizzy.

Anyhoo. We (read: I) was rewarded for my climb with a shopping trip on the Champs Elysses, the premier shopping street in Paris. It was fun ducking in and out of the shops even if I didn't buy anything. Most of the time it was a chance to warm up.

Tim, Tony and I went on to the Louvre and saw the masterpieces.



I love the Louvre. There are times, standing in front of a DaVinci or Michelangelo that I get a little teary-eyed (as cheesy as that sounds). I'm just so amazed to be standing in front of something touched and inspired by genius.

We finished our schedule for the day in record time, so we had time for a walk through the Left Bank of Paris. This is where the poets, artists, famous people in general and the wanna-be's all drank coffee and pondered.

The walk took us past the oldest church in Paris: St. Germaine des Something.



The tower is original and dates back to the early 1100s. This was the second go-around for this church. The first one was demolished by a group of inconsiderate Vikings around 875 a.d.

We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and a very full itinerary. Keep your fingers crossed for short lines and fair weather.

Yep, we're still hanging with the dead people

Steps today: 16, 071
Miles walked: 5.94
Crepes digested: one more than my last count (am I in double digits yet?)

It was a bitterly cold day in Paris. The first day of the year started off biting cold with little snowflakes here and there.

Our day began a little later than normal to give us all time to recouperate from the NYE party the night before. Once we all gathered, we headed to Pere LaChaise (Pare La Shez) Cemetary to poke through the graves.

The cemetary is hauntingly beautiful home to many famous people. I'll just let the photos speak for themselves.







Tomorrow, we really have to do something less morbid.

New Year's Eve in Paris

We celebrated New Year's in grand style this year. We started with a food-and-drink celebration at Tony, Susie and Shelley's apartment. Around 11:30 p.m. we strolled (some people staggered) to Pont Neuf (Bridge Nine), which is the oldest bridge in Paris.

At midnight: