Paris, France
AS the capital city of FRANCE, PARIS has endured as an important city for more than 2,000 years. Often called by nicknames like the “city of love” and “city of lights”, it is today one of the world’s leading centers for business, fashion, entertainment, art and culture. Just the mere mention of PARIS conjures up images of the city’s world famous landmarks, museums, and cathedrals. Also called the “Capital of Fashion”, it is home to some of the world’s finest designer names including Yves Saint Laurent, Lancôme, L’Oreal and Christian Dior. I’ve been here several times but this time, I stayed only three days, so I will mention only the attractions I visited.
It rained that morning so we decided to enter the world’s most visited museum, the LOUVRE, located in the Louvre Palace with its signature glass pyramid marking its entrance. Housing a collection of more than 1-M objects, it boasts some of the world’s most famous art works. You can’t see everything, so don’t try. Pick a target (or five) and see them, and wander aimlessly in between. Tour guides indicated it would take 9-months to see every exhibit taking 7-seconds to review each!
Architect Charles Garnier spared no ornate detail when he designed the PALAISGARNIER (Opera House) in the 19th-c. Seating nearly 2,000 people, the theater is home to the National Opera of Paris. It is the star of the novel and subsequent films, Phantom of the Opera. One of the famous squares is the PLACE VENDOME where the very expensive Hotel Ritz and Hotel Vendome are located. A number of famous people have lived here including composer Frederic Chopin, authors George Sand, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway. In the center is the celebrated COLONNE VENDOME, a 44-m tall column where a statue of Napoleon is installed at the top.
The iconic symbol of PARIS is the EIFFEL TOWER, a more than 300-m high assembly in the Champs de Mars Park. This iron edifice was constructed for the 1889 World Exposition and is one of the world’s most photographed tourist attractions. Visitors can ride the elevator to see incredible views of the city or dine in one of the two fine restaurants that are situated within the structure. After a whole day of exploration, we settled in our hotel for an early out-of-town trip the next day.