Paris (Continued) The Marathon Walking Tour

As walking tours go, this one was a dandy.  It was free.  If you come to Paris look it up at http://www.wegowalking.com. Our guide Paul was one enegetic young man who never stood still and kept up a good pace on the walk.  He literally walked us from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower with many stops in between.  I suggest being well rested before taking this tour as you will walk your legs off and wear out your walking shoes.

Paul, our leader 

This was basically our itinerary.  No stopping to go inside, just long enough to get the history and stories about each site.  

Ile de la Cité                                        Jardin des Tuileries

Notre Dame de Paris                          Arc de Triomphe Carousel 

Km. 0                                                  Musée du Louvre

La Conciergerie                                   Place de la Concorde

La Sainte Chapelle                              Champs Elysées

Pont Neuf                                           Grand Palais

The Seine                                           Alexander III bridge                                                  

The Bookinistes                                  Invalides

Academie Francaise                           Napoleons Tomb                  

Pont des Arts                                      École Militaire

Lovers Locks                                      Tour Eiffel

Notre Dame

Academie Francaise where they write the French dictionary.  It is written by a group who call themselves "The Immortals".

Pont des Arts and the lovers locks.  It is said that a couple will stay together forever if they write their names and date on the lock and then attach it to the bridge. They then must throw the key into the Seine so that the lock can never be opened.  The authorities do not encourage this as the locks are added, they get so heavy that they pull the fence down.

On across the bridge to The Louvre.  Looking back to the Academie Francaise through the arch leading to The Louvre.

The Grand Palais from 1900 Worlds Fair.  Meant to be temporary, but still in use for big events and exhibitions

Alexander III Bridge

"The Beaux-Arts style bridge, with its exuberant Art Nouveau lamps, cherubs, nymphs and winged horses at either end, was built between 1896 and 1900. It is named after Tsar Alexander III, who had concluded the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1892. His son Nicholas II laid the foundation stone in October 1896. The style of the bridge reflects that of the Grand Palais, to which it leads on the right bank.

The construction of the bridge is a marvel of 19th century engineering, consisting of a 6 metres (20 ft) high single span steel arch. The design, by the architects Joseph Cassien-Bernard and Gaston Cousin, was subject to strict controls that prevented the bridge from obscuring the view of the Champs-Élysées or the Invalides.

The bridge was built by the engineers Jean Résal and Amédée d'Alby. It was inaugurated in 1900 for the Exposition Universelle (universal exhibition) World's Fair, as were the nearby Grand Palais and Petit Palais".

Les Invalides Constructed in 1670 by Louis XIV in order to provide accommodation and hospital care for wounded soldiers. In 1815, after Napoleon's abdication, over 5,000 survivors of the Great Army were listed there. Napoleon inspected the place and visited his men in 1808, 1813 and 1815.  It now houses the French Military Museum

and Napoleon's Tomb. The chapel of the Invalides was built at the end of the 17th century by Jules-Hardouin Mansart and contains Napoleon's tomb. In 1840, during the 'Return of the Ashes', a law passed on 10th June ordered the construction of the Emperor's tomb below the dome of the Invalides.

 and last the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is an iron lattice tower. It was named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Erected in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair, it was initially criticised by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design, but has become both a global and cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world.

So ends the tour and our day.  I barely had the stamina to get back home.  I am doing little or nothing tomorrow.  

Oh yeah, after resting a bit I did have the strength to go eat.  Never to tired to eat.