Our second day in Paris we explored quite a bit of the City via the metro and walking. Dad loved the Seine and the various sites we visited.
Initially our goal was to walk all the way to the Champs d’ Elysses. A week before or so they had celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the liberation and Dad was deployed not far from Paris protecting various suburban towns and bridges during its Liberation drive in August 1944 so this felt pretty special. Unfortunately, we had just missed any real celebrations of parades,etc so we had to invent our own brand of celebration.
We walked from our hotel to Notre Dame and then to the Louvre area. Here is a picture of John and Dad in front of the Louvre pyramid entrance.
We then continued to walk through the Park and Gardens making our way to the Champs d’Elysses.
Here is Dad and I in the Gardens enjoying a nice day.
An ironic part of our walk was that Dad had been a real trooper downing baguettes and Camembert throughout our trip but really wanted a Cheeseburger at this point. He is the man of the hour and deserved what he craved. You can see the Golden Arches appeared as we neared the Arch de Triumphe in the background. At this point we did not eat at McDonalds but did get a Cheeseburger. We just thought the photograph was so ironic with the two arches. At this point in the trip I was also just dying for some good junk food.
We went on to the Arch de Triumphe and there were some nice memorial’s there honoring those who had served to liberate France and Paris in 1944, like Dad, and also in remembrance of the many who had died in doing so.
Here at the Arch, Dad and I pretending to hold it together. Just playing around it was a fun afternoon.
Here was a memoir to honor those that had served and died in the cause of freedom.
From the Arch we hopped on the Metro and made our way across town to the Montmartre area and Sacre Couer.
Here we are after arriving and looking up at the side steps near Sacre Couer.
And to the right the reward of a beautiful view of the city when you reach the top.
Dad really enjoyed this part of the trip. He loved churches and I think perhaps Sacre Couer was probably his favorite location for its beauty and solemnity (at least once inside).
We enjoyed the old artist and tourist section of Montmartre as well. We had a few beers, shared some stories, watched the artists, had a nice lunch and then headed on our way.
Beers and good talk after a long trip.
Pictures of both Dad and John in front of Sacre Couer on the way back down the steps to the Metro.
Next: Heading Home