AHH....PARIE..... The day we arrived in Paris was France's presidential Election Day. It was a very calm city before the polls closed and we never heard any uprisings after the results came in . What an interesting 1st day but the 2nd day topped that.  

The next day was the anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe in 1945 during WWII - May, 8, 1945) . A national holiday. The current president of France and the president-elect Macron laid a wreath at France's Tomb of the Unknown soldier at the Arc de Triomphe.

Dave and my 1st stop was The Eiffel Tower. It took quite awhile to be able to get up to the top as there were so many people there. Once we did...it was another amazing site. We could see a 360 degree view of all of Paris. Paris is a very beautiful city...unique in itself. Parisians are in their own world and very rarely smile back at you. But, I've got to tell you that I felt so entitled and special walking The Avenue des Champs-Élysées that I found myself smiling a lot. Wow...we were in Paris....Wow!!!!

We then went to see the Arc De Triomphe and The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We actually walked under the street to reach it. Dave and I tried to imagine what it was like there on May 8, 1945. It had to be pandemonium, celebration, tears, joy, relief . The states also celebrated VE Day, but it was much more important for the European nations and Russian that were directly savaged by Hitler and the Nazi's. It's been 72 years but being in Paris on this day of celebration it felt like a day.   

We watched as this elderly French woman was being interviewed by a tv station as to her memories of VE Day and how she felt about the recent election. Not able to understand french we couldn't understand what she was saying...but we could imagine.  

We came upon the memorial for Princess Diana. It was above the tunnel that her car crashed into. I remember that day back in San Diego when the sad news of her passing in Paris was all over the news stations. Unreal to know that this August it will be 20 years. 

The next day we headed to the Louvre Museum and found it is closed on Tuesdays. But, under the Louvre was the Carrousel du louvre Mall. Mostly high-end shops such as Rolex, Gucci, Chanel, Prada and so much more. Didn't buy anything, but what a thrill just to go in and browse. I'm sure the clerks were saying something in French like "These Americans can't afford anything here...what a waste of time..."  

We then strolled (well it was more like a long walk) to see Notre Dame. The architecture in Paris is one of the amazing things that make it so unique and Notre Dame didn't disappoint. One needs to take their time and really look at all the detail inside and out. Somewhere in the back of my mind I half expected Quasimodo and Esmeralda to appear (Have you read of watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame?).  

Since this was our last day in Paris, we just had to do what many Parisians do....sit at a sidewalk cafe with drink in hand and just people watch. (We actually needed to sit somewhere for a while as we probably walked over 5 miles each day in Paris and my feet were killing me.....)

So, we leave this beautiful city tomorrow and board another train heading to Provence, France. These 2-1/2 days have been memorable, eventful, nostalgic and the shopping was pretty great too.  
                    Merci la France pour tout..........