A day to do what we want. No scheduled times to be anywhere meant we could sleep in, and we did. This was good as Brooklynn’s been doing her online classes each night, getting to bed really late, and then waking up super early to make our destinations in time.
Today we took the RER to the Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile which Napoleon had put up to celebrate his victories. We were excited to find the line went very quickly to purchase the tickets. The line to get through security was even shorter. I think our timing must have been spot on because we’ve heard how long the lines can be, especially on a weekend. We climbed the 300 step spiral staircase before arriving at the top. The 360-degree view of all of Paris was stunning and the weather was beautiful in spite of the slightly overcast skies. There is a room, near the top, where the unknown soldier laid for many years, but has since been converted into a museum picturing and describing the uniforms the soldiers wore throughout history. Beneath the Arc is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the eternal flame. Very fitting for Brooklynn to be here as she was chosen to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier when she went to Washington DC for her 8th-grade trip.
Next, we walked the mile-and-a-half long Champs-Elysées. A large outdoor shopping street, containing many high-end shops, cafes, and cinemas. We noticed Louis Vuitton had a line of people around the building waiting to enter, each person undergoing a security check before entering. We stopped and got in line at the famous Ladurée to buy their world-famous Parisian Macarons. We got an assortment of flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Citrus, Passion Fruit, Pistachio, and Salted Caramel. Our first macaron ever and they did not disappoint.
The streets in this area were much busier and crowded. We decided to head back to the side streets near Notre Dame. Found a good place to get a chocolate and coconut crepe...yummy! The girls went into a bookstore called Shakespear and Company followed by dinner at a small cafe. The weather turned colder, and it started to lightly rain, so we called it a night and headed back to the apartment. Looking forward to tomorrow.
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