The Final Day: Paris!

Disclaimer: This post is being written after we had returned to Canada, so we can blame or thank Jim Dickey, Dickee, Dickie for this post.

When you reach Paris, it is all about the steps. That image below is after we returned to the hotel, but before we headed out to dinner. Gotta love technology!

Questions: How early can I leave the hotel? How long can I stay out seeing the city? How much mileage can I get in and how many sites can I see in one day? You are never certain when you will be back, or if you will be back, to Paris so you need to make it worth your while. In order to fit in some items you will need to cut others. Hence, I have yet to go up the Eiffel Tower. Maybe one day, but not on this trip or the previous one!

First step (pun intended) is to investigate what you would like to see. When I first came to Paris in 2009, a colleague loaned a tourist book to me which was a great help. From that, I started to decide what I wanted to see and in what order. For this trip, I offered up to the group to take them where they wanted to go and see what they wanted to see. The five participants were very agreeable to my suggestions.

So we started by taking the Metro to Arch de Triomphe. This is a great monument to see in person and is almost overwhelming. 

We then walked down Champs Elysees towards Place de Concorde. 

From there, we walked over to the Louvre and around the grounds. 

Although we did not enter, I did take the time in 2009 to go in where one of my favourite paintings is displayed. I am not an art major, but I do know what I like!

After the Louvre, we walked over to Notre Dame and took a quick walk around inside. There was a service taking place, so it was neat to see this monumental church in action.

And now, a quick stop for lunch!

We then proceeded to walk north to Montmartre. This takes about 45 - 60 minutes to walk to from Notre Dame, but you get to see some of the city on the way, get in some steps, and enjoy the city. From Montmartre you can view the entire city of Paris. The view is breathtaking and, most importantly, free. Calories I got to spare! 

After this, what was remaining of our group walked a bit further north, and then took the Metro back to the hotel. We then cleaned up, headed out to our final dinner, and afterwards made our way to the Eiffel Tower to watch the lights. Since we were required to leave the hotel by 7:00 the next morning.

So this is the last blog post. Anthony, Karen and I will be meeting the week of May 16th to discuss Eurotour 2017, so stay posted for more information. Thank you all for following our adventures and have a safe and fun summer!