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Archive for May 15th, 2012

Looking down the Champs-Elysees at the Arc de Triomphe

The first day I was here I walked down the Champs-Elysees and got my first glimpse of the Arc de Triomphe way at the far end. I was so excited to see it again that I walked an hour from my apartment in horrible shoes to reach it, then realized that I had obtained some very painful blisters. Guess what? It then occurred to me that I had to walk back because I had absolutely no money with me for the Metro or a taxi. I hadn’t planned on walking to it that day, but in all my excitement I just took off and headed that way. Live and learn, right???

View across the street from the Arc de Triomphe

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The Arc de Triomphe is located at the end of the Champs-Elysees. It is the world’s biggest triumphal arch! It is 161 ft. high and 144 ft. wide.  There are a dozen streets that radiate from the center of the Arc, which makes it Paris’s busiest traffic hub! The roundabout has been called “vehicular roulette” by many. It is quite a site to watch people driving in this area. They just drive all over…swerving in and out of traffic. There are no lines (as you can see in pic) on the streets around this area (or in most of Paris for that matter) so people just go like crazy. It is entertaining to say the least!

Looking up at the Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to celebrate the victories of his Grand Armee. It wasn’t completed until 1836.

To reach it you have to walk through an underground passage.  No pedestrian traffic is allowed to cross on the street. Trust me when I say that you would not survive!!

Underground passage to the Arc de Triomphe

The abbey church at the very top

The architecture of the abbey is unlike any other monastery in the world. The builders were constrained by the pyramidal shape of the location so they wrapped the buildings around the granite rock. The abbey church is located at the very top and stands on crypts that created platforms to hold the weight of the church. I will stop with the architecture lesson ; ) after I tell you one other piece of information. The architectural mastery that was needed to succeed at perching the equivalent of a 3-storey building that was approximately two blocks long (in the 11th century) is mind boggling to me. This took unbelievable precise and technical calculations. Seriously jaw-dropping stuff when you think about it!

Oh, as a side note…if you ever plan to visit France, seriously start climbing stairs and I mean LOTS of them months before you arrive! They love spiral staircase and many buildings still do not have elevators. This is why they can eat bread and pastries and still be thin! They walk, walk, walk and climb lots of stairs everyday! Just a friendly FYI ; )

Abbey church at the very top of Mont-Saint-Michel

Flower garden and walkway at the top

Mont-Saint-Michel

I have wanted to return to this place since I saw it for the first time…over 25 years ago!! The history of this place dates back to 708! That is not a typo either. There was a sanctuary built on Mont-Tombe nearby and soon it became a focus of pilgrimage. The Benedictines settled in the abbey and then a village grew up around it.

It is quite an astonishing sight to see! It is still amazing to me how some of these places were built so long ago.  They truly are works of art.

And YES, I did walk all the way to the top!!! = )

Another view heading to the top

View from top. When the tide is in, Mont-Saint-Michel is surrounded by the ocean.