Paris to London (Day 18, Part 3 of 3)

Getting from City Locker to the train station was suppose to be easy... the walk wasn't too bad until we actually got to Gare du Nord station.  We came in one entrance and were directed to the Eurostar part of the station - up one flight of stairs, across another part of the station, then back down another flight of stairs - dragging our luggage with us.  Traveling is always an adventure!

We went through customs and security before finding our correct boarding platform.  We boarded on time and easily found our seats.  This part of our day is a bit of a blur - we were both so tired!  This was a really great way to travel back to London.  I know I have said it several times, but we really love the trains in Europe.  This was about a 2 1/2 hour train ride, we got an hour back on the clock because Paris is one hour ahead of London.

The Eurostar traveled through the French countryside then entered the Channel Tunnel (often called the "Chunnel.")  This is an undersea tunnel linking southern England and northern France.  There wasn't anything to see, just the reflection of the glass.  The Channel Tunnel runs between Calais in northern France and Folkestone in south Kent.

 

Once we arrived in London, we joined the queue for a taxi.  This seemed to take longer than it should have.  We finally arrived at the Leonardo Hotel and got checked in for our last night.  The hotel is definitely set up for travelers who are there for just a night.  It is very close to Heathrow airport and offers the option of a shuttle or they can reserve a taxi.  We opted for a taxi then headed to our room.  It was a normal size hotel room and we were ready for bed!

HoHo! The Paris Hop-On Hop-Off Bus (Day 18, Part 2 of 3)

After we shoved our luggage into our locker (no small task!) we headed out to find one of the bus stops for the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus.  This ended up being about two miles away.  We were at stop #10 of 10 and decided to see where the road would take us.  Spoiler:  we never did hop off!

 

We enjoyed riding up top and looking at the old buildings.

 

Stop #1 was the Louvre Pyramid in the main courtyard of the Louvre.  Constructed entirely with glass segments and metal poles, it reaches a height of 71 ft.  It is the main entrance to the Louvre Museum, home to the world famous Mona Lisa.

 

 Stop #2 - Louvre Pont de Arts - a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Seine River.

Stop #3 - we crossed the Seine and drove past Notre-Dame de Paris.  Construction of the cathedral began in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and was largely completed by 1260, though it was modified in succeeding centuries. In the 1790s, during the French Revolution, Notre-Dame suffered extensive desecration; much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. In the 19th century, the coronation of Napoleon I and the funerals of many of the French Republic's presidents took place at the cathedral. 

 

The 1831 publication of Victor Hugo's novel Notre-Dame de Paris (in English: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) inspired interest which led to restoration between 1844 and 1864.

Approximately 12 million people visit Notre-Dame annually, making it the most visited monument in Paris.

On April 15, 2019, while Notre-Dame was undergoing renovation and restoration, its roof caught fire and burned for 15 hours. The cathedral sustained serious damage. The task of stabilizing the building against potential collapse was completed in November 2020.  Reconstruction began in 2021, and is still ongoing.

Before we got to stop #4 we saw a a giant sculpture of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.  She has partnered with Louis Vuitton and is seen here painting the flagship Louis Vuitton building.

And some more impressive old buildings:

 

Stop #4 - Palais Bourbon - the meeting place of the National Assembly.

 

We were driving down the Champs-Elysées when we caught our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tour!

A lamppost blocked my first attempted at a selfie:

There it is!

Stop #5 is at the end of the Champs-Elysées - The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile - "Triumphal Arch of the Star."

 

It was commissioned in 1806, after the victory at Austerlitz by Emperor Napoleon at the peak of his fortunes.  During the Bourbon Restoration, construction was halted, and it would not be completed until the reign of King Louis-Philippe, between 1833 and 1836.

Les was so excited to see this one.  The Tour de France ends on the Champs-Elysées with multiple laps around the Arc de Triomphe each year.  This will take place tomorrow!

 

Stop #6 - the Grand Palais -  the Great Palace.

 

The Palais served as a military hospital during World War I, employing local artists who had not been deployed to decorate hospital rooms or to make molds for prosthetic limbs.

The Nazis put the Palais to use during the Occupation of France in World War II. First used as a truck depot, the Palais then housed two Nazi propaganda exhibitions.

 

The Parisian resistance used the Grand Palais as a headquarters during the Liberation of Paris.  By August 26, 1944, American jeeps were parked in the nave, followed by tanks from the French 2nd Armored Division, completing the liberation of the building. 

Stop #7 - Trocadéro.  This is across the Seine River from the Eiffel Tower.

Stop #8 - the Eiffel Tower!  It was so fun seeing it from so many angles.

Stop #9 - Champ de Mars, a beautiful park.  Also seen at this stop was The Hôtel des Invalides (English: "house of invalids"), commonly called Les Invalides.  It is a complex of buildings containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France.

It was a beautiful day in Paris!  We definitely want to go back and spend time hopping off the bus!    It took us about 2 1/2 hours to do the full route.  We made it back to stop #10 and headed back to City Locker for our luggage.  Next stop: Eurostar station, then Paris to London via the train.