Coucou! Redeux - La Grande Arche

Crossing the street near the Champs-Élysées, I happened to look down the street and - coucou! - there was La Grande Arche de la Défense. 

Coucou! - La Tour Eiffel

The French word coucou literally means "cuckoo" as in a cuckoo clock, but it is also the word the French use when playing peek-a-boo. Coucou!

Walking through the streets of Paris often feels like a huge game of peek-a-boo, you never know what you are going to see when you come around a corner or step out of a Métro station.

This week, a few "coucou" views of La Tour Eiffel. Here it is, as viewed from the Charles de Gaulle Étoile, just peeking it's head up out of the fog.

Églises - Église Saint-Augustin de Paris

This week the theme is churches. There are so many beautiful old churches in Paris and we went into many of them on this last trip to Paris.

At first I was not sure about this. My friend who I traveled with is not religious, but he wanted to go into every single church we passed. Having parted ways with the Catholic Church myself in the past few years it made me uncomfortable at first and I thought about hanging back, but they always enticed me and before I knew it, I was going in every one.

This one is the Église Saint-Augustin de Paris, the church which has this statue of Joan of Arc out front.

Portes - Champs-Élysées

A very, very old door with mail slot on the Champs-Élysées.

Statues Anciennes - Place de la Concorde

One of the naiads, or water nymphs, who presides over the fountain at the Place de la Concorde. Built during the time of Louis Philippe (1830-1848), they were designed by German architect Jacques-Ignace Hittorff.

I love the contrast between the dark bronze of their bodies and the bright, shiny gold of the fish and their adornments. 

Statues Anciennes - Jeanne d'Arc

Saint Joan of Arc in full battle mode as she must have looked fighting for her country during the Hundred Year's War. This is not the most famous statue of her in Paris, but it's my favorite. This one can be found outside the Église Saint-Augustin de Paris in the eighth arrondissement.

[I got information about this statue from my new favorite website, parisdailyphoto.com. Check it out!]

Charles de Gaulle Étoile - Avenue des Champs-Élysées

From the top of the Arc de Triomphe, you can see twelve of the most famous avenues in Paris including the granddaddy of them all, the Champs-Élysées. (Literally translated as "Elysian Fields.")

Arc de Triomphe - View from the Top

Even on a hazy day the view from the top is amazing! Remember this one? Next week, more from the top of the Arc de Triomphe.....

Arc de Triomphe - Staircase

To get to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, you must climb 284 steps up a winding staircase. That's actually not too bad when you compare it to the other Parisian monuments tourists traditionally climb: Notre Dame (402), La Tour Eiffel (~710).

Arc de Triomphe - Plans de Arc

Here is an architectural schematic of the Arc I thought was kind of neat. Plus a video that gives you the "inside scoop."

Arc de Triomphe - Eternal Flame

Situated over the Tomb of the Unknown Solider from World War I, this is the longest burning eternal flame in modern history.

Arc de Triomphe - The Arch

This week, another icon of Paris - the Arc de Triomphe. Paris' Triumphal Arc sits in the center of Place Charles de Galle at the western end of the Champs-Élysées and honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars.

(In the interest of full disclosure I think it is important to point out that I did not take this picture. I neglected to photograph the arc in all its glory - doh! - so thanks to my friend Sean for this pic :)]

Seize the Day in Paris - Place de la Concorde

#3 - Hang out around the Place de la Concorde, one of the major public squares in Paris. (Be careful crossing the street!)

Sandwiched between the Champs-Élysées to the west and the Jardin des Tuileries to the east, there is much to see here. The Obélisque de Louxor (Luxor Obelisk, pictured) stands at the center of the place, which is also home to La Madeline, the Hôtel de Crillon and the American Embassy. This is also where Queen Marie Antoinette and many others were beheaded during the French Revolution.

On the day we were there, we saw a rally for the rights of motorcyclists on the streets of Paris.

L'Orangerie - Le Baiser

A reproduction of Auguste Rodin's Le Baiser (The Kiss) stands just outside L'Orangerie. It strikes me as very French that as you leave the museum the last thing you see is one of the masterworks of Impressionist sculpture. 

L'Orangerie - Nymphéas

This is not a good photograph of me, but I am including it to give you an idea of just how completely you are surrounded by Water Lilies (Nymphéas) at L'Orangerie. I promise you, I was a lot happier standing there amongst the water lilies than I look :)

L'Orangerie - Musée

The Musée de l'Orangerie is my favorite museum in Paris and is one of the places I make sure to visit on any trip to Paris. A museum devoted to impressionist and post-impressionist art, it is most famous for housing Monet's Water Lilies (Nymphéas). These famous paintings are on display in an oval room in the museum and as you sit and view them, they almost seem to surround you. This is a wonderful place to spend a few minutes, an afternoon, or even the whole day.

Le Métro - Franklin D Roosevelt

My friend Sean took this photo for me of the Franklin D Roosevelt Métro station. FDR has always been my favorite station because it smells like Paris to me. This particular platform is always hot and windy and is nothing special to look at, but I love to go there and breathe in the smell of the city.

As a happy accident, he also got a shot of me in the train's window. This is one of my favorite photographs of the whole trip.