PARIS ENLIGHTENED US!

The Golden Tulip
Roissy-en-France, France
August 15, 2015
Low 70s F, cloudy till afternoon

Because of the superb advice from Thiphaine at the front desk last night we took the hotel shuttle to the CDG Airport, found Terminal 2 for the RER 3, and took the train to Paris! We hopped off the train at Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris and hopped on a Big Bus (HOHO) by 10:30 a.m. Since it has been 48 years since I was in Paris, I thought this would be a great way to acclimate us to the beautiful city and see the places we wanted to see in the one day we have. Since it was early in the morning, we were able to score front seats undercover on the top level.  I know Randy, Coleen, and B2 will understand the importance of that!

We saw the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees with Mercedes, Citroen, Toyota, and Peugeot dealership showrooms like you would expect to see a department store, the Arc de Triomphe, Les Invalides where Napoleon is buried, the Louvre, La Place de la Concorde, the Seine, the Sorbonne, and so much more.  Next time we visit Paris, we will make certain there is time to see more places in depth! The supreme art, architecture, and history of a city I love.

Eiffel Tower

L'Arc de Triomphe

Janie at Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris

Notre Dame-note flying buttresses

We decided to have lunch at La Solita Taverne in the Latin Quarter. We enjoyed salads, pizza with ham (me), and 4 cheese penne pasta (TK).

TK at La Solita Taverne

I already found made some neat purchases for B1, B2, and Brian in the Latin Quarter. Just wait!

We retraced our steps, got back to the airport, then back to the hotel by 6:30, just in time for our Welcome Dinner with Mike Hanlon and the other people on our World War I Centennial Tour. All have a keen interest in military history, and some, like me, have family connections. Two men are honoring their fathers who were born in the late 1800s and served in World War I.

TK's Takes: He noted that Paris has more traffic lights than Erie, almost one per block. We did not see many police, but we saw more soldiers with AK 47-like weapons, especially near the Notre Dame. The city is bigger than he imagined.  Note for Brother Bill: The traffic circle at L'Arc de Triomphe had at least 13 streets feeding into it, craziness everywhere.

Friend C C: There are beautiful gardens everywhere, with flowers just like home, lavender, Russian sage, gaillardia, and more. Bon chance demain avec la presentation!