The Louvre

No trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to The Louvre, the world's largest and most visited art museum. The surrounding buildings are stunning enough!

I intended to spend the whole day there, so I was in line by the time the museum opened, and as soon as I was inside I joined the rush of people to line up for the Mona Lisa.

Bigger than I was expecting (as so many people had said it was smaller than expected), it was hard to really appreciate the piece due to the crowds of tourists taking selfies and thousands of photos being snapped. It seemed like the majority of people only saw it through a screen or lens, hardly anyone really looked at it... Here is my photo haha

Not a let down, but no better or worse than any of the other thousands of pieces of art in the museum.

Once that was out of the way, I spent the next nine hours getting lost in the endless rooms, trying to see as much as possible. The famous pieces (Egyptian tombs, the Venus de Milo etc) were always crowded, but the irritating tour groups only swarmed the famous pieces, so I often found myself  alone in rooms with equally stunning art.

It was overwhelming, so many rooms and exhibitions to see, it was impossible to absorb it all. And not being a fan of taking photos of paintings (or most things in museums), I didn't take that many shots.

But below is probably my favourite photo in the museum.

Self portrait, mocking by Joeseph Ducreux. Legend!

That bought an end to my amazing time in Paris. I sat in the Champ de Mars and watched the sun set behind the Eiffel Tower, the perfect end to a perfect visit.

More photos here

The Palace of Versailles

My French isn't great, but I'm pretty sure Versailles means abhorent, but fascinating, excess...

It's hard to do justice to the sights of palace, the gilt, the artwork, the carvings and tapestries, every wall, chamber, fence is a exquisitely detailed, no expense was spared (some estimate the cost of being over 2 billion US dollars).

I took a 40 minute train out of Paris, and spent the better part of the day walking through the palace, and exploring the even bigger gardens and groves.

A spectacular monument to pride, ego and gluttony. Truly a wonder.

More photos here

Paris

My train pulled in to Paris St Lazare station, I shouldered my backpack and set off to find my hostel. Right away I fell in love with the city, stepping out onto the busy streets and being immediately awed by the architecture, old buildings, cobbled streets, crowded cafes overflowing onto the footpaths, it was a pleasure to get lost in the streets trying to find my way onwards.

Once I had settled in, I decided the best way to get a feel for the place was to wander down any street that looked interesting. Easier said than done, everywhere I turned there was something that caught my eye. A gradually found myself taking all of the high streets, and without a destination in mind I came across the 'Sacré-Cœur', and incredible cathedral built on a hill overlooking the city of Paris. Not a bad place to be at sunset on my first night in the city!

The next few days I spent walking as much as possible, visiting the highlights and trying to get a feel for the city. From the top of the Eiffel Tower, to the maze of catacombs under the city streets, everywhere I turned I saw exquisite buildings, monuments to era defining historical events, and more museums that I had time to visit! A perfect place to set off on foot, and explore (with the help of delicious pastries and espressos) until exhaustion set in.

Numerous highlights:

The Eiffel Tower, dominating the skyline and every prettier at night. I walked the stairs to the second viewing platform, then taking an elevator to the top for a breath taking view of the sprawling city below.

The Catacombs of Paris, not built for people my size, but a mind-blowing maze far below the city street, containing the remains of over six million people!

The Arc de Triumph, capping off the bustling Champs-Élysées

 

The Pantheon, home to the crypts containing the famous sons and daughters of France (Marie Curie, Alexandre Dumas etc) and Foucalt's pendulum.

The cemetery of Pere Lachaise, the burial site of Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison (among many others).

Whats left of Notre Dame, under heavy reconstruction.

The site of the Bastille Garrison

The Place de la Concorde

More churches, government buildings, historical sights, endless feasts for the senses.

What a city.

Many more photos here