Day
158: Around Paris - Fri 10 Oct, 2014
Back down the spiral staircase to ground level, the Eternal Flame burns over tomb of unknown soldier honouring 1.3m French soldiers who lost their lives in WWI.
Well, at last, good
weather for our final day in Paris - such a pretty, clean and spacious city. It
was our last chance to climb the Arc de Triomphe, the monument to Napoleon’s
1805 victory at Austerlitz, designed to
commemorate his Austrian victories (including over Raab, Ozzie’s lovely winter
home???), and to honour his grand army. It stands on Etoile/ star roundabout.
The most famous of the high relief panels is François Rude's sculpture La Marseillaise (Departure
of Volunteers). Frieze running around top features hundreds of 2m high
individual figures.
 |
| Queuing underground for tickets |
 |
| Famous face from La Marseillaise |
Climbed 284 steps (in spite of attendant asking GirlRob if
she wanted to take the lift??). Great 360⁰ views, including Montmartre and out to the much more modern Grand Arch.
Back down the spiral staircase to ground level, the Eternal Flame burns over tomb of unknown soldier honouring 1.3m French soldiers who lost their lives in WWI.
BoyRob was keen to try infamous La Fouquet’s restaurant, a
popular meeting place for people from the world of cinéma, arts and culture, but as we were
under-dressed, and meals averaged 70€ pp, was persuaded to lunch elsewhere along
Champs Élysées.
Train home, washing, drying (including doona and matching pillow cases). Cooked
pork sausages with veggies, only a few days left to eat out the fridge and
tucker box. Watched birds flying south for winter in a v-formation. Combined with the increasing cold, growing stacks of firewood, leaves turning russet or falling - these are the physical signs it's time to go home...
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