One Week in Paris

One week in Paris and the world’s your oyster.

I’ve been missing in action for a bit more than a week because of a family trip to Paris, France. We visited my wife’s eldest sister and her family, and we celebrated our nephew’s 40th birthday, my wife’s sister’s husband’s birthday, and we got too meet our nephew’s and his wife’s 16-month-old daughter for the first time. We also spent time with an ex-pat friend of my wife and our niece and a friend of hers. She lives in Berlin, but she came to Paris to see us. Naturally we also visited several tourist attractions including several museums, Notre Dame, Montmartre, Sacré Coeur, the Eiffel Tower, and we took a river cruise with dinner and a few of Paris’ 44,000 restaurants. We also went to an opera.

Four people standing in front of a mirror in Palais Opéra Garnier. My daughter is taking a photo with her iPhone.
From left to right, my wife’s sister, my wife, me (in the back), and my daughter. This photo was taken in an opera house called Palais Opéra Garnier. I should mention that this was not opera where we saw a performance.

Paris is a fascinating city with so much to offer and so much life. Paris proper/inner-city is 40+ square miles featuring large several hundred years old beautiful buildings, gorgeous esplanades and narrow streets, thousands of restaurants, cafés, bakeries, pastry shops, small stores, thousands of statues, and hundreds of museums, monuments, tourist attractions and parks. Paris is the city in the world with the most restaurants, and the food is great. Italy has been voted to have the best food in the world. I must disagree; it is France. There is culture everywhere and the streets are filled with people long after midnight, and the restaurants are open long after midnight. Paris never sleeps.

The city of Paris (Paris proper) only has 2 million people, but you must add the millions of people working there but living in the suburbs. Paris metropolitan has 13 million people, and the region of Paris called Île-de-France has 12 million people. The city I live in, Dallas, Texas, also has 2 million people (8 million people in the metro) but it has almost nothing to offer in comparison. Dallas has some tourist attractions and offers some culture, it is not bad at all, but Paris has about a hundred times more of that. In Dallas almost all restaurants close before 10PM, which is when Paris really wakes up. That is not to put down Dallas, but to point out that Paris is indeed one of the greatest cities in the world to visit.

Paris cityscape centered around Île de la Cité in the Seine River.
Aerial view of the Seine River in Paris. The island Île de la Cité is in the center of the picture and Notre Dame can be seen in the back.

I’ve been to Paris several times before, in 1986 after my Swedish army service, then in 2003 and in 2018. This time was different because I could converse in French with waiters and taxi drivers, read signs and instructions, and newspapers. However, unlike in 1986 and 2003 a lot of French now speak English, at least the younger generation, and they want to speak English. In 1986 even the French who knew how to speak English were kind of offended when you could not speak French. Now they want to practice speaking English, and I want to practice speaking French. The problem I had in 1986 has been reversed. I was so happy when I started talking to a taxi driver in English and he said “Je suis désolé, je ne parle pas anglais. Anglais non. Anglais non.”

I heard a lot of different languages spoken, in addition to French, English, German, Italian, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Spanish, Swedish, Danish and many other languages, and it was all welcome. When I visited Italy in 1986 someone angrily shouted at us that this is Italy and we speak Italian, not English. In 1986 the same thing almost happened in Paris, but I don’t think that is likely to happen in Paris now. The current US government is not popular for understandable reasons. However, there were signs reminding people that the US government is different from US visitors, and I felt that people treated us in a friendly manner.

Anyway, below is an overview of what we did this time with the focus on my photos. In the past we’ve visited Moulin Rouge, Versailles and Le Louvre, which is the world’s largest museum. I highly recommend those attractions but since we have seen them a few times already we did not visit them on this trip.

The Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel tower is one of the main attractions in Paris. We’ve visited the Eiffel tower before. We’ve eaten at the restaurant on the first floor, and we’ve visited the second floor (halfway up), but I’ve been to the third floor (the top) only once before, in 1986. Unfortunately, it has become difficult to visit the Eiffel Tower top. You must buy the tickets beforehand in good time. My wife’s sister was able to get us all tickets from Paris City Vision (guided tours).

The photo features a bridge, the Seine River, with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
Eiffel Tower from the other side of Seine (my photo)
Establishing Aerial view of Paris Cityscape with Eiffel Tower and Seine River on sunrise, France. Landmark Monument as Famous Touristic Destination. Romantic Travel and Urban Skyline Panorama.
Aerial view of Paris featuring the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River. Stock photo (not my photos). Asset id: 2281050257 by Open Films.
The view features a huge green garden and beautiful buildings. Champ de Mars is located next to the Eiffel Tower.
Scenery from the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. The garden you see is called Champ de Mars and there’s a dog park.
The photo shows thousands of impressive buildings in the distance including Notre Dame and Jardin Du Luxembourg.
This is a view from the third floor (the top) of the Eiffel Tower. If I were to take a photo of every view angle I would end up with dozens of photos, which is too much. If I were to take a panorama photo you would not be able to see any details. If you look carefully, you can see Notre Dame about 60% up and slightly to the left. The impressive buildings and garden in the middle is the Jardin Du Luxembourg.
The skyscrapers in the distance are part of La Défense de Paris. The sun is setting, making it a beautiful photo.
This is another view from the third floor (the top) of the Eiffel Tower. In the distance (zoomed in) you can see some skyscrapers. That is NOT “downtown” Paris. It is La Défense de Paris, a business area in a suburb of Paris and it is not considered a tourist attraction. However, the first time I visited Paris in 1986 we visited La Défense de Paris because being from the north Swedish countryside we had never seen a skyscraper before.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame is a very large cathedral located on the island Île de la Cité. The construction of it began in 1163 and it was completed in 1260, 865 years ago. It was severely damaged by a fire in 2019. We’ve visited Notre Dame many times before, but this was the first time we visited Notre Dame since the fire. It looked the same except the big, beautiful pipe organs were missing, and Notre Dame was still being renovated on the outside. We bought tickets beforehand, but you can buy tickets there, but the line is long.

Photo of Notre Dame the front/entrance side.
Photo I took of Notre Dame before entering.
The left side of the inside of the Notre Dame cathedral. There are seats, chandeliers and a very tall ceiling.
Inside the Notre Dame cathedral, on the left side.
Inside the Notre Dame cathedral, across, with a large circular window in view.
Inside the Notre Dame cathedral, the perpendicular view.

River Cruise on the Seine

We also took a dinner cruise on the Seine. The boat / cruise was called La Seine Ducasse. I started right across from the Eiffel Tower and went a few miles up, passing by the island Île de la Cité and Notre Dame and then turning around. The cruise was a couple of hours long and the sun set during the cruise. The food was amazing (see the menu below). Unfortunately, the beer options weren’t that great, so I had wine.

The photo shows the River Seine. There is a bridge across the river.
A photo of the river Seine.
The menu featured a lot of items written in both English and French.
The menu at La Seine Ducasse. I had Marinated raw gilt-head bream, Kristal caviar, and delicate gelée. I also had Warm Guinea fowl and foie gras paté and curled endive. After that I had Roasted Culoiseau chicken, girolles and confit lemon, cooking jus. For dessert I had Strawberries in their natural way, purple shiso and marble sorbet.
Four silver plates on a table with a white cloth situated in a dining room on a boat.
Our table as when we arrived.
Photo of the Eiffel Tower at night. It is lit up by 20,000 LED lights.
The Eiffel Tower as seen from the cruise boat at night.

Opera Rigoletto

One evening we went to see an Opera at Opera National de Paris located nearby the Bastille. The opera was Rigoletto by Cristiano Grimaldi. It was sung in Italian but above the scene there were subtitles in French and English. 

Photo of the scene at Opera at Opera National, Paris, France. There are a few people in the isles and in the seats.
You were not allowed to take pictures, but I snapped this quick photo before of the scene, before the performance started.
Hallway at Opera at Opera National, Paris, France. There are a few people standing in front of the counters.
Hallway outside the theater where you bought snacks and drinks.
This is two minute and 50 second video of La Donna È Mobile sung by Luciano Pavarotti. La Donna È Mobile is a song in Rigoletto. You may recognize it. I should add, it was not Pavarotti who sang it in our performance (he is no longer alive).

Montmartre and Sacré Coeur

Montmartre is a neighborhood, and a hill located in Paris. It is known for its old picturesque buildings, the plaza, the small stores, cafes and restaurants, and the art. At the top of the hills sits one of Paris most famous cathedrals Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. It is open to visitors, but you may have to stand in line to go inside. The view from the top of the hill is spectacular.

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre is bright white with large roundish cupolas.
This is the front view of Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. It is one of the most beautiful cathedrals that I have ever seen.
A row of stands where vendors are selling goods, art and other things.
This market in Montmartre is located nearby Sacré-Cœur.
A row of stands where vendors are selling art. There are a lot of people in the photo.
This market in Montmartre is located nearby Sacré-Cœur.

Sights and Shopping in Paris

Nobody walks in LA but in Paris everyone walks. There is so much to see everywhere, everything is close, and there are several restaurants and shops in every block. So, why not walk a few miles every day. It is healthy too. Below are a lot of photos that I took of things we visited as we walked around Paris.

Street sign with the text Avenue des Champs Élysées.
Avenue des Champs Élysées is a long wide street with lots of stores and things to see.
The photo feature a sign saying Louis Vuitton, but it is partially cut off at the ends.
My wife found this purse store called Louis Vuitton. I took the photo as I walked into the store. Husbands sat in comfortable sofa chairs and where served coffee, tea and juice while their wives were shopping. When someone made a purchase, they served you champagne and cocktails. My wife did not buy a purse, but my daughter bought one later. The purses were expensive but cheaper than in the states according to my wife.
The photo shows Arc de Triomphe and the circulation place around it.
Arc de Triomphe is located on Avenue des Champs Élysées. You can walk up to the top. We did not do that this time.
The photo shows Palais Opéra Garnier from the outside.
Palais Opéra Garnier was an opera that we toured. However, it was not the opera where we saw Rigoletto, that was Opera National de Paris. However, Palais Opéra Garnier was without doubt a very impressive building.
The photos show a large auditorium with red chairs inside Palais Opéra Garnier.
The auditorium of the Palais Opéra Garnier.
The back of the auditorium of Palais Opéra Garnier. There are five levels.
Another view of the auditorium of Palais Opéra Garnier.
The photo shows a very large room featuring columns, stairs and balconies. It is the second largest room in Palais Opéra Garnier and close to the entrance.
One of the large rooms in Palais Opéra Garnier.
A very long and large hallway with dozens of chandeliers, golden columns, and enormous paintings. The most beautiful room in Palais Opéra Garnier.
An artistically decorated hallway in Palais Opéra Garnier.
The paintings in the ceiling at Palais Opéra Garnier are astounding.
The ceiling of the hallway in Palais Opéra Garnier.
The back of Palais Opéra Garnier
I took this photo from the terrace of an eight-story shopping mall called Gallery Lafayette located nearby Palais Opéra Garnier. The photo shows the back of Palais Opéra Garnier. My wife and daughter spend a lot of time shopping here.
Photo shows the front and middle of Hôtel des Invalides.
Photo of Hôtel des Invalides / Les Invalides, where Napoleons tomb is located. Hôtel des Invalides is very large, and this photo only shows a small portion of it.
The photo shows some nice looking large buildings.
One of the corners of place de la Concorde.
The photo shows an obelix that has a gold-plated pyramid on top.
The obelix at Place de la Concorde.
The inside of Saint Sulpice is large, with white columns and a tall, rounded ceiling.
Inside a church / cathedral called Saint Sulpice.
The sidewalk is covered by a decorated ceiling and enclosed by columns.
A sidewalk in Paris

Museums and Gardens in Paris

We visited several museums and gardens in Paris. One of the museums we visited was Musée de l’Orangerie which exhibit all kinds of art from ancient times to modern times but especially paintings including several famous painters such as, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Henri Rousseau, Walter-Guillaume, Amedeo Modigliano, Marie Laurencine, Maurice Utrillo, Eva Nielsen. Some special exhibits were Monet’s gigantic water lily paintings and “flou” art, intentionally blurry paintings and art because life is blurry. We also visited the Auguste Rodin Museum. The museum had hundreds of Rodin sculptures in the museum building as well as in the surrounding gardens. There were also paintings by Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet.

The main building of Jardin Du Luxembourg is a gorgeous building with statues.
Jardin Du Luxembourg feature several buildings including this one. The garden is huge and difficult to show in a photo, but you can get an idea by looking at the fourth photo (aerial view from the Eiffel Tower) in the Eiffel Tower section above.
The photo shows a painting which covers an entire wall.
Musée de l’Orangerie featured many large paintings of water lilies by Claude Monte.
The photo shows four ancient wooden statues on display in the Musée de l'Orangerie.
Ancient African statues in the Musée de l’Orangerie.
A blurry painting of a woman in a blue dress at the Musée de l'Orangerie.
An intentionally blurry painting. As mentioned above, this style is referred to as Flou. The paintings are blurry because life is blurry.
The photo shows the Auguste Rodin Museum in the distance and a large garden in the front.
The Auguste Rodin Museum featured one relatively small museum buildings surrounded by a huge garden. Both the garden and the building contained hundreds of statues, mostly by Auguste Rodin as well as paintings by Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet.
The statue is of a naked man sitting and thinking.
The famous Rodin bronze statue the thinker, located in the garden.
Inside the Rodin Museum; a naked woman and gnome with a tall hat riding a deer.
Two of the statues inside the building.

Dessert Places in Paris

There are thousands of Cafes, bakeries and pastry shops in Paris and the cakes, pastries, desserts, tarts and other baked goods are probably the best in the world. We visited a number of these stores and creperies and we had desserts at various restaurants. You can find wonderful baked goods in Italy and in the Scandinavian countries, but I have to say that France, and Paris, takes the cake (pun intended). At Angelina’s I had delicious coffee and I had some of their thick and creamy hot chocolate with whipped cream as well as two incredible cakes. At Berthilon I had amazing rhubarb and wild strawberry ice cream.

The photo shows rhubarb and wild strawberry ice cream with a big wafer in a silver goblet. There is also a coffee cup and a teapot.
Rhubarb and wild strawberry ice cream with a wafer at Berthilon.
Glass counter featuring colorful pastries at Angelina, Paris, France.
Small section of the to go counter at Angelina (a sit-down pastry shop).

Violin d’Ingres Michelin Star Restaurant

We celebrated a couple of birthdays at a Michelin star restaurant called Violin d’Ingres. In terms of eating that was probably the highlight of the trip. Out of Paris’ 44,000 restaurants only 123 are Michelin star restaurants (10 three-star restaurants, 17 two-star restaurants, and 96 one-star restaurants). I ordered Pigeon, something I’ve never had before. It does not sound appetizing. I joked that you had to go out in the street and kill the Pigeon yourself. However, it was probably the best meal I’ve had so far this year. It was truly delicious.

The Violin d’Ingres menu features Entrées, which is starters, then Plats which is the main course and finally desserts.
The menu at Violin d’Ingres. Notice that Entrées means starters or appetizers, just like the word implies. Somehow this got mistranslated into the English language to mean main course.
The shape of the Pigeon on my plate at Violin d’Ingres is like that of small whole chicken. It is garnished with arugula and other greens.
This is my main course, Pigeon in lightly fried bread. It was delicious.

Traffic in Paris

Traffic in Paris is horrendous. Paris has successfully promoted the use of bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles, buses and the metro. As a result, the air is much cleaner than it used to be, but the traffic is still bad. One of the reasons is that it has become quite popular to disturb the traffic in various sorts of protests. When we were there the taxi drivers were on strike. You may think that you could just take an Uber instead, but the taxi drivers were blocking other traffic as well, including blocking the entrance to train stations. We were afraid they might block the entrance to the airport on our return day. I have a hard time understanding this since this kind of behavior is obstruction and is illegal in the United States as well as in Sweden.

However, the striking tax drivers were not the only problem. One day when I was accompanying my wife and daughter shopping, I got bored and decided to walk back to the hotel. It was two miles, and it took me one hour. Since the sidewalks are of such high quality and there is so much to see along the way and so many opportunities to stop if you need, this is easy to do.

Along the way I saw two large demonstrations. One was “dépénaliser cannabis” and there were hundreds of people, many with green hair and weird clothes, carrying flags with green leaves on them, marching down the street and playing music. There were also hundreds of police and the entire street, Rue Voltaire, which is a major street, was blocked. Then came the bicycle demonstration. Hundreds of bicycles blocking traffic and lots of police. Well at least it was not a boring walk. Oh, what I saw on Rue Voltaire!

Have you ever been to Paris?

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Author: thomasstigwikman

My name is Thomas Wikman. I am a software/robotics engineer with a background in physics. I am currently retired. I took early retirement. I am a dog lover, and especially a Leonberger lover, a home brewer, craft beer enthusiast, I’m learning French, and I am an avid reader. I live in Dallas, Texas, but I am originally from Sweden. I am married to Claudia, and we have three children. I have two blogs. The first feature the crazy adventures of our Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle as well as information on Leonbergers. The second blog, superfactful, feature information and facts I think are very interesting. With this blog I would like to create a list of facts that are accepted as true among the experts of the field and yet disputed amongst the public or highly surprising. These facts are special and in lieu of a better word I call them super-facts.

88 thoughts on “One Week in Paris”

  1. That was magnificent. I spent a few days in Paris right after graduation from college, but I was broke so missed pretty much anything that cost money on your tour. What an excellent time you seem to have had.

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    1. When you are young you don’t have much money but you do things differently. In 1986 I did not have money either. We didn’t eat at any Michelin star restaurants but we had baguettes with ham and cheese almost every day.

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  3. What a beautiful trip. Yes I have been to Paris and enjoyed it. I also took the bullet train to Avignon. The Parisians were the rudest and although my French was conversational I had that awful American accent that required most to seemingly not understand me. I loved the restaurants, cafes, and museums.

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    1. I am so sorry the Parisians were rude to you. I think the new generation may be different or maybe it is my Swedish accent. My French teacher told me my accent is very Scandinavian and sounds comical but is easy to understand. But seriously, I think the French has become much more interested in and knowledgable about the English language. I think the difference between 1986/2003 and 2025 is huge. I would love to take the bullet train to Avignon one day.

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  4. This is a wonderful overview of Paris, probably my favourite city. It’s interesting to hear that people are now wanting to practise English. I speak Québécois French (I sound Canadian, of course) and the last time I visited there was a lot of sighing when I opened my mouth but I was much more “accepted” than my American friends or German husband. Great to hear that there are signs reminding people that individual Americans are separate from the actions of their government. Cheers.

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    1. Yes I think it is especially the new generation that is interested in learning and speaking English. It makes it a lot easier for those who don’t speak French. About the attitudes. It is the same thing in my native country Sweden. The current US government is probably the most unpopular I’ve ever seen in Sweden (my brother is livid), but people treat Americans in a friendly manner because people have learned not to conflate government with people/visitors. A sign to remind you does not hurt though. Paris is certainly a very fascinating city. I would love to visit Quebec one day.

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  6. Beautiful pictures ! I would love to visit the mueseums and cathedrals . Also I like the restraunts’s staying open after 10 , it’s one of my biggest complaints about the city I’m in . We need later times since it’s just so hot , but sadly the culture in the US isn’t night owl friendly .

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    1. Thank you so much Oliveunicorn. I also wish the restaurants here in Dallas would stay open after 10PM, but as you say that is not the culture here. In Paris nightlife is amazing no matter where in Paris you are.

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  7. We still haven’t been, although my wife are I are starting to plan where we’re going for our 40th anniversary (a year from August). I suspect it might be Italy, but we haven’t decided for sure.

    I’m impressed by all that you did, Thomas.

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    1. Thank you so much Pete. That sounds like a great plan for your 40th anniversary. I can add that for Europe in 2026 you are likely to need to apply for an ETIAS (Visa you apply for online). They were supposed to require that for US visitors starting May 2025 but the program has been delayed, but it will begin in 2026 instead.

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  10. What an incredible journey, Thomas! I’ve only been to Paris once, but through your photos, you’ve brought it to life again for me. 😊

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    1. Thank you so much Gwen. It was a wonderful trip and our daughter got a Louis Vuitton purse out of it, and naturally we filled out the appliaction to get the VAT back. (the sales tax included in the price).

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  16. Thank you for this fabulous and detailed tour of Paris! You certainly made the most of your week. 👌 And the food – magnifique! The sunset river cruise must have been a delight as well. I visited Paris once, way back in 1966, and remember several of the landmarks you highlighted. My favourite area was Montmartre, where the artists hang out. 🙂

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    1. Thank you so much Debbie. I love Montmartre too. What a cozy and beautiful place! And the food is delicious. Well the first time I was there in 1986 we ate only baguettes with ham and cheese and some greens for budgetary reasons. But we were young students.

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    1. Thank you so much Magiie, and you are right. We had a very full schedule from early morning until bed time. We were three people from the US but with family in France (and Germany) we were eleven. We did a lot of the things with them though.

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  21. I would love to go to Paris, it sounds and looks like an amazing time. My husband would appreciate the comforts inside Louis Vuitton 😆 I’d definitely go there if the handbags are cheaper than here in the States. Great photos Thomas! Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thank you so much Kirsten. The Louise Vuitton purses are outrageously expensive, but they are cheaper in France and then you can get 25% back at the airport (filling out a form). So in that sense it was worth the airplane ticket (my daughter bought one).

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  22. Wow you did a lot in Paris for one week! Nice pictures thus. I worked in Paris for several years while living in Versailles ,traffic? depends where you got your license mine in NY/NJ so Paris was a piece of cake ::) Salut now in the Morbihan breton out west of France.

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    1. Thank you so much pedmar10. It is amazing that you worked in Paris and lived in Versailles for several years. So you are saying that traffic in NY/NJ is worse? I have to admit I have not driven much in NY/NJ.

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            1. Yes I know Marseille is southeast. What I meant is that I’ve never been to West France, but I would like to visit. However, I’ve been elsewhere in France, in Marseille, and Nice too (which I know is not west). Sorry I was not clear. But I would love to visit Bretagne. If I don’t remember incorrectly that’s where Asterix and Obelix are from. I have to admit I do not know what Morbihan dept 56 is. Is that a store?

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              1. No is the only department or county of France that its name is not French but Breton, Mor sea bihan small in French petite mer but have in our local celtic language. Asterix and Obelix show a lot of these gauls celtic people but are not from here lol ! Hope you can make it to deep France… Cheers

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                1. That is interesting. I remember visiting Aix-En-Provence nearby Marseille (I forgot to mention Aix-En-Provence), and they also had their own language, Provencal. All the street signs were in both French and Provencal. I know there are other languages in France but I don’t know much about them. I hope I can make it to West France and deep France one day.

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                2. Yes you are right. In my native country Sweden there are more than one official language and a linguist told me that I am not speaking Swedish but Norrlandish which he considered its own language (but it is not an official language), because it was different enough. Norrlandish is like a mix of Norwegian and Swedish, sort of (not exactly but sort of). Swedish, Norrlandish, Norwegian they are close all close enough that I have no problem understanding all of them.

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    1. Thank you so much Lulu. Yes my first sentence might have inspired by that musical (Abba). Dada is right again and very observant. I saw it a long time ago (1988). That is a very cool video.

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  24. I visited Paris once, in 2018, and loved it! My favourite museum was Musee d’Orsay. I saw Notre Dame before it burned. Your photos brought back great memories. I wrote Amanda in France based on my experiences there.

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    1. That is very interesting. I also visited France and Notre Dame in 2018 and I agree Musee d’Orsay is a wonderful museum. We didn’t visit it this time though. Notre Dame is almost back to where it was in 2018 but not entirely. Still, there are lots of visitors.

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  25. I enjoyed seeing your Paris photos! So much to see and do there it seems, at all hours. Those famous buildings, and the ornate decor of them is amazing. Your desserts sounded really good, too. I’ve only been in the airport in Paris (Orly) as a layover on my way to Germany. I’m almost positive I saw the Eiffel Tower, at least my memory says I did. 🙂

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    1. Yes, and we didn’t even visit Le Louvre or Versailles or d’Orsay, so no photos of that. The desserts were delicious, top notch, but you should not eat too much of them, not like that whale you were writing about. I was close though. Orly is closer to the city so it makes sense that you could see the Eiffel Tower. Charles de Gaul is further away.

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  27. We’ve never been anywhere in Europe, Paris or otherwise! I would say “maybe someday” but, eh, probably not. Although we do have passports, but those are so we can flee the country, depending on how the next few years go. (I am only partially kidding.)

    I’ve seen many aerial shots of the Eiffel Tower but never one that conveyed quite so well as that just how it towers (heh) over the city!

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    1. Yes the Eiffel Tower is special. It towers over the city and the river like you say. There are no sky scrapers around the tower. There are some in the distance but they are not a tourist attraction or part of “city center” Paris. Another thing with the Eiffel Tower is that you feel unprotected as you go up. It’s just a bunch of bars, and it adds to the excitement. My wife got vertigo and felt uncomfortable. I am not as afraid of heights. The Eiffel Tower also has a restaurant. If you are seriously afraid of what might happen the next few years I know several American ex-pats in various places in Europe, Sweden, Portugal, Germany and France.

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  28. What a gorgeous trip you made with your family Thomas, and you certainly took in all the exciting sights and places to visit.. France is a beautiful country, and Paris the icing on the cake..
    Your learning of French I would think impressed… I know they love we try to speak their language.. ( I only learnt a few sentences to get me by when we went on holiday ) And yes they love to practice their English… 🙂

    So many wonderful photos shares Thomas… and I smiled at your wife and daughter enjoying their shopping 🙂
    The cuisine there is always a delight to taste buds… And you got my own going with that Rhubarb and Strawberry ice cream… They both go so well together.. 🙂

    Thank you for taking us along upon your delightful journey…

    Have a wonderful New week back home.. 🙂 xx

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    1. Thank you so much Sue. I found the Parisians to be very willing to converse this time. I made one mistake., I said “Je voudrais ajouter un pourboir.” / “I would like to add a tip” to a taxi driver, and he started telling me where I could find bars. Pourboir is “tip” but it also means “to drink” and ajouter(add) sounds like acheter (buy). My French teacher told me use the word “donner”/give instead of “ajouter”/add and say “Je voudrais donner un pourboir.” “ajouter” wasn’t wrong but easy to mishear as acheter. Well, that was an interesting quirk of the French language.

      I agree the food here is delicious. The first time we visited when I was just 20, I did not feel exactly the same but that was because we bought baguettes for dinner every day for a week.

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  29. Hi Thomas, wow, this was some trip. Your photographs are wonderful. It is most interesting that the French are more inclined to speak English now. They certainly weren’t like that when my move visited thirty years ago. The Japanese were very helpful and nice when I was in Tokyo. I think every country appreciates the value of tourism.

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    1. Thank you so much Robbie. I am not sure if it was because I started out by speaking French, which I didn’t before, but I think they are more interested in speaking English now, and all the young people seem to know English, more or less.

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  30. The last two months have been quite busy, so I’m just catching up on some blog reading. It sounds like you had an amazing an amazing time in Paris. Thanks for all the wonderful photos!

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  31. That was quite the epic trip of family and friend reunions Thomas, it looks like you guys had a great time. You also got to tick off a wide array of the big-hitter sights; I was interested to read about your impressions of how Paris has changed since your previous long-ago visits. And mostly for the positive it seems, well, apart from the traffic. Glad you got to see a demonstration too, the French sure do love a protest. I have only been to Paris once, and Sladja has never been, your article reminds me that we should rectify that someday.

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    1. Yes along with the Parisians being a bit more friendly, the tourism has increased. If you want to go to the top of the Eiffel tower you have to buy the tickets way ahead with a tour company. A few days before won’t cut it anymore. Versaille is also amazing but we’ve been there a few times. Le Louvre is very impressive and huge but Mona Lisa is way over rated. Last time we visited Le Louvre, the room was overcrowded with several hundred visitors. It is a small painting so you could barely see it. However, if you turned around there were large and incredible paintings all around you in the same room that no one was looking at. It is all fame, that’s all.

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