Paris on my Mind 2.0

Luxembourg Park, Champs Elysees, Montparnasse Cemetery and Notre Dame Cathedral are part of my 2.0.

It has been a week and yes, Paris never left my mind. I am not sure if I am doing a three part blog post on Paris or even four. There is a lot to see in Paris and every place deserve a post in itself but I am combining those four places. I will separate the Louvre because that museum is too big to be part of this post. Now let's get started:

Notre Dame Cathedral

The Arc of Triumph (Arc de Triomphe) is a large monument built in the 19th century. One of a kind as it has intricate and impressive sculptures adorn its pillars. You can go up to the panoramic terrace which offers a fantastic view of Paris. I did not go as the line up was a box office. I enjoyed the sunset on the side street, and I was very happy. Take note. I visited this on my day one in Paris with jet lag and I was fighting not to fall asleep while on a bus ride. The transit was easy, I took the M line from Trocadero Gardens to Charles de Gaulle- Etoile for €1.90. Just walk a little bit, and you will see the glorious arc.

Arc de Triomphe

The surrounding street of Champ Elysees has the luxury botiques such as Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Montblanc, etc. On this street, is where I got my €16 smoothie. Yes, tell me about it. I was so thirsty, and I could not remember which restaurant I went to. It was such a muggy day, and I was not going to pass out. So I sat in one of the restaurants with a patio, and I watched people walking on the street. I certainly enjoyed my meal, and I was happy. On a side note, there was s spot in the middle of the road where people congregate and they take photos with the Arc de Triomphe as the background. It was dangerous but hey; I was a tourist but once I had my photo taken I was gone.

Luxembourg Park was so beautiful. I was up super early, got ready figured out my transit and got some croissants in one of the bakeries near my hotel. Then, I went to Jardin du Luxembourg. It is located at the Latin Quarter of Paris, on the left bank of River Seine. It was worth getting up early just to see the beautiful garden. It is a private garden open to the public. Very quiet, a pretty nice area to walk and the huge lawns with amazing statues/sculptures. It has trees with the winding path, and I have seen family walking or having a picnic and kids playing around the central fountain. The park is definitely for everybody.

Luxembourg Garden

Few kilometers away was the Montparnasse Cemetery. I walked I did not take the transit for this one. I was reading a map which was a surprising skill that I managed to have while overseas. I am not sure why I wanted to go there but I found some solace walking in there. The guard was so nice and asked me where I was from, and he was like, "Oh Canada, we love you guys." Inside you can find simple tombstones, monumental graves and family mausoleums. Take note of this. It is hard to be buried in Montparnasse Cemetery. Only people who had lived there and died in Paris are the only ones who can be buried in the cemetery. A very strict rule. I didn't do a lot of search of famous people buried in the cemetery, but I have seen Jean-Paul Sartre, a French philosopher and writer.

Montparnasse Cemetery

Lastly, Notre Dame Cathedral, oh another box office line up with the number of people who were wanting to see the inside was astounding. I had to just walk around, but it was immaculate and the outside was magnificent. Going back to my day, it was a lovely day for a walk along the River Seine, and I find that around this area, the food is bit cheaper. You can have a fabulous meal for € 15-20, yes smoothie included (kidding). I hope that the renovation and restoration they are doing at the cathedral become successful; however, I have been reading that it is still in state of peril. The tragic fire they had in April 2019 created a serious damage. I hope so...