After a morning crepe, we headed over to the Eiffel tower to catch les car rouges tour bus.
And, we waited. Buses are scheduled to come every 10 minutes or so and we waited long enough for at least two buses to have come. We decided to head to the other side of the tower where there was supposed to be another stop. Thankfully, there was a stop. Apparently, the first stop we went to was blocked off due to construction.
We bought a two day tour bus pass, but our plan was to stay on the bus the first pass through to get familiar with the city (or at least the small part of it that the bus traversed). However, after passing by Napolean's tomb and the Louvre, we decided to jump off to stretch our legs at Notre Dame. Besides, we wanted to try out an ice cream shop we had read about. Well, the ice cream was good, but not great. Notre Dame was more impressive than I expected though. And, surprisingly, it was free to enter the main cathedral. The line was dauntingly long, but it moved quickly and we were inside in less than ten minutes. I normally appreciate old churches, but Notre Dame is unlike any I've been in before. Just the sheer size and grandeur are so impressive. And, despite the crowds, it's possible to appreciate all the artwork, sculptures, stain-glass, alter, etc. We opted not to pay and wait in line to go up the tower - perhaps on another trip.
Have I mentioned that Paris is crowded? While we saw lots of amazing sights, the bus ride was somewhat nerve-wracking as we negotiated all the traffic. Scooters, cars, buses, bikes, pedestrians were all swerving, dodging, and darting every which way. I would not want to be behind the wheel on these roads.
The bus took us by numerous amazing sights: Musee D'orsay, Opera Galeries, numerous fancy shopping districts, Hotel Ritz, the Seine, the Champ-Elysees, Grand Palais, and Tracadero. We got off at the Arc de Triomphe. We had to take a tunnel under the ginormous roundabout that encircles this impressive monument that Napoleon had built.
It was cool to see the main finishing route for the final stage of the Tour de France (along the Champs-Elysees) - although it is strange to see it completely filled with cars. I look forward to watching this year's stage later this month - though it'll have to be on TV.
The bus tour was helpful, but by the end I was feeling a bit nauseous from breathing so much exhaust while being in such dense traffic. Since we have another day on our bus pass, we'll probably use it to get over to the Louvre. We are also thinking of walking through the Jardin Des Tuileries next to the Louvre.
Bye for now.
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