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Last time there was Place de la Bastille, Place des Vosges, the Eiffel Tower, Pont Neuf, and the Musee d’Orsay.
This time we start off with Notre-Dame, probably my favourite building in the world.
Containing France’s largest organ, it took 170 years to build. After the revolution in 1789 the Cathedral was vandalised and renamed the Temple of Reason, but fell into disrepair. Restoration began in 1841 and lasted another 25 years.
After a walk around the Cathedral (we didn’t go inside this time), we took a boat ride along the Seine.
We then headed out towards the Opera National de Paris Garnier, a truly ornate building.
We then stopped off at the Moulin Rouge – because you have to at least once, don’t you?…
…and then on to Sacre Coeur.
The basilica was built as a memorial to the French soldiers killed during the Franco-Prussian War. High on a hill it offers some spectacular views.
The Statue of Joan of Arc.
The next day we headed back to the Places des Vosges for a proper explore. We found this statue of Louis XIII
and came across the Hotel de Sully
The superintendent of finance had a private mansion built with a garden and orangery opening onto Place des Vosges in 1624, which the first Duc de Sully bought in 1634. Since 1967 it has been the head office of the Centre des monuments nationaux which manages over a hundred of France’s national monuments.
We also paid a visit to the excellent Victor Hugo museum, inside the house where the author used to live.
And after that we headed home and arrived safely back on English soil, thoroughly satisfied with our Parisian adventuring.
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