Day 74, Eiffel Tower(9), Paris, France

Why are you looking at me strangely Amit?? Hahaha......you are waiting for the "piece de la resistance" amongst these monuments!! Ok, I don't want keep you waiting any longer.....

There it is……a global icon of France, one of the most recognizable structures in the world....La Tour Eiffel.....

Its identity document would read like this:

Date of birth: March 31, 1889 (hoisting the flag to the top), built for the Universal Exhibition in celebration of the French Revolution.
Age: 120 years

Contractor: Gustave Eiffel & Cie

Engineers: Maurice Koechlin & Emile Nouguier

Architect: Stephen Sauvestre

Studies: Begun in 1884

Construction: 1887 to 1889 (2 years, 2 months and 5 days)

Composition: 18,038 pieces, 2,500,000 rivets

Weight of the metal structure: 7,300 tons

Total weight: 10,100 tons

Height: 324m (height with flagpole)

Coordinates :
Latitude : 48º 51' 32" North
Longitude : 002º 17' 45" East

Numbers of visitors up to December 31, 2008: 243.376.000

Distinctive feature: recognizable throughout the entire world

Number of steps: 1665

Owner: City of Paris

Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in Paris.

Depending on the ambient temperature, the top of the tower may shift away from the sun by up to 18 cm (7.1 in) because of thermal expansion of the metal on the side facing the sun.
The tower also sways 6–7 cm (2–3 in) in the wind...hahaha....don't worry Amit... its not windy tonight!!

No, no, don't worry Feroz, we are not going to climb up the 1665 steps....But of course we are going to take the lift all the way to the third level. What is the point of coming here and not going all the way to the top? Oh, Nopi, you absolutely to forget about your fear of heights tonight.....this is the Eiffel Tower!

The majority of the ascent allows for an unhindered view of the area directly beneath and around the tower......oh there , you can see the latticework .

Maintenance of the tower includes applying 50 to 60 tonnes of paint every seven years to protect it from rust.

Did you know that the Eiffel Tower was to be demolished in 20 years after construction? It was due to the fact the Gustave Eiffel was only given a permit for the Eiffel Tower to stand for 20 years before it passed to the city ready for its destruction, but because it became valuable as a communications resource, it was allowed to remain in place even after the permit had expired.

There were 300 workers who joined together 18,038 pieces of puddled iron, which is a very pure form of structural iron, using two and a half million rivets.

And although the risk of accident was great because of its open frame and only the two platforms, because Gustave Eiffel took safety precautions only one man died.

But when the Eiffel Tower was built, it was met with resistance, as the public felt it was an eyesore, even though Parisians today would not wish to be without it, as it is widely considered to be a striking piece of structural art!

People were also shocked at the daring shape, questioning Gustave Eiffel wondering if he really was a good engineer, but being that he and his engineers were renowned bridge builders, he came back with comments stating that it was based on mathematical calculations utilising wind resistance.

Although most people have the idea that the Eiffel Tower can be seen from almost anywhere in Paris, this is actually not the case, due to restrictions in place that limit the height of most buildings to only a few storeys so there are only a few of the taller buildings that get a clear view of the tower.

Ok, guys, get ready for a once in a lifetime experience....

The view from up here is absolutely incredible!!
http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/vu_de_la_tour/index.php

The reason I asked you to get all "dressed up" this evening? It is a surprise I have planned for you.... we are going to Le Jules Verne, a restaurant that sits 125 meters above ground on the 2nd level of the Eiffel Tower.....

I had to make this dinner reservation 3 months in advance so that we could get the window seat.....!!
http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/ludique/visite/360/java_bd/jour/index.html

There are only 120 places available so there is always a waiting list!

This menu has such a large variety of French gourmet dishes.....blanquet de veau farci; cabillaud et epinardes; terrine de foie gras; quiche lorraine; bisque d' hommard; veloute de langoustines; roti de veau; roti de porc; quenelles; moules; gratin dauphinois.....hmmm, none of us speak French.... this will be a rather interesting meal;-)
Bon appetit guys!

Oh, don't worry Feroz, I am told that cuisses de grenouille is absolutely delicious.....so you must try it....apparently it tastes like chicken......and Nopi you must try the escargot.
Personally, I simply must taste this canard a l'orange.....mmmm, yummy!
No, no, Amit, I think roti means roast, not roti!!
Sita and Amit want to taste the soup a l'oignon and salade nicoise.
Of course all of us are going to indulge in the tarte tatin, creme brulee, and chocolate mousse.

As we enjoy our seven course dinner ( which costs around 190€ per person!!)....we also absorb the spectacular view of this city called Paris.......
http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/ludique/video/index.html?id=5_17

Amit I think that by now you know absolutely all that there is to know about this awesome tower
http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/documentationpdf/about_the%20Eiffel_Tower.pdf?id=4_11

and Feroz, I know that you love this place too!!

http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/ludique/visite/3D/index.html

This illuminations tour of Paris has been absolutely awesome .........with its multitude of monumental landmarks, museums, so many UNESCO world heritage sites.......Paris has most certainly all but exhausted the superlatives that can reasonably be applied to any city, anywhere in the world..........

What's the matter Feroz.....you didn't know that cuisses de grenouille actually was frogs' legs....hahahaha......but it did taste like chicken , didn't it?

Day 74, The Conciergerie (7), Paris, France

And that my dear friends is the Conciergerie, a former royal palace and prison in Paris. It is part of the larger complex known as the Palais de Justice, which is still used for judicial purposes.

Located on the Ile de la Cite, which is the island in the middle of the River Seine, the location was originally chosen by King Philippe IV, also known as Philippe The Fair, in the early 14th Century as the place where he would build a palace to symbolise his power.

Described at the time as one of the most impressive palaces of the Middle Ages it is an imposing building that was named the Palais de la Cite, but towards the end of the 14th century this place was abandoned in favour of Chateau Vincennes and The Louvre palace, which of course is now the most famous museum in Paris.

This left the Palais de la Cite to be used by the Paris parliament and administration and it was the Concierge that was nominated by the King to maintain order, manage the police and he transformed part of the building into a prison, which is why the building became known as La Conciergerie.

The hall of guards, the soldiers hall and the kitchen at the Conciergerie all date from the 14th century, but it was the cellars of the building that although had become like a courthouse, eventually were made into a prison and by the 1700's this building had become the main prison.

This building really became a famous Paris Landmark through the French Revolution and in the years 1793 and 1794 there were around 2,780 men and women who were detained at La Conciergerie awaiting their fate before they were escorted to the Concorde square to be beheaded.

One of those most famous names in history, Marie-Antoinette, who was the Queen of France and sister of the King of Austria, was among those detained here before facing the guillotine.....somehow, I don't think that her last meal included cake!!

If we were here during the day we would have been able to visit the halls that were the setting for the Reign of Terror, .....can you imagine how Marie Antoinette felt as she walked down the gloomy halls towards the guillotine.....knowing that they were going to chop off her pretty little head?

The chapel known as des Girondins is an expiatory chapel that was built according to the instructions of King Louis XVIII on the exact spot of Marie Antoinette's cell, and in her memory it now includes a crucifix and a couple of portraits.

With its impressive Gothic architecture and halls, beautiful vaulted ceilings, to the imposing facade, which is a reminder of the Middle Ages, La Conciergerie is the oldest prison in the whole of France!!

Today, La Conciergerie constitutes a wing of the Palais de Justice and the colonnaded Salle des Gens d'Armes, which is over 60m long and around 25m wide is now sometimes used for concerts.

Day 74,Musée du Louvre(6), Paris, France

Oh, guys there is the Musée du Louvre or simply the Louvre — the largest national museum of France, the most visited museum in the world, and a historic monument.

It is a central landmark of Paris, located on the Right Bank of the Seine.

The museum is actually housed in the Louvre Palace (Palais du Louvre) which began as a fortress built in the late 12th century under Philip II.

In 1672, Louis XIV chose the Palace of Versailles for his household, leaving the Louvre primarily as a place to display the royal collection, including, from 1692, a collection of antique sculpture.

During the French Revolution, the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a museum, to display the nation's masterpieces. The museum opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings, the majority of the works being confiscated church and royal property.

The size of the collection increased under Napoleon when the museum was renamed the Musée Napoléon. After his defeat at Waterloo, many works seized by Napoleon's armies were returned to their original owners.

The collection was further increased during the reigns of Louis XVIII and Charles X, and during the Second French Empire the museum gained 20,000 pieces. Holdings have grown steadily through donations and gifts since the Third Republic, except during the two World Wars.

As of 2008, the collection is divided among eight curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Paintings; and Prints and Drawings.

Yes, Marti, you are right, the Mona Lisa (also known as La Gioconda), a 16th century portrait painted in oil on a poplar panel by Leonardo da Vinci during the Italian Renaissance, is on the wall in the Louvre. The title of the portrait….simply "Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo" It is perhaps the most famous painting in the world.

It is a pity that we are taking a night tour through Paris, so you won't be able to visit the museum....but you have to admit that this city is simply awesome at night!

Yes, yes, all of us are Dan Brown fans...and in " The Da Vinci Code", Robert Langdon reads esoteric symbolism into the two pyramids: The Inverted Pyramid is perceived as a Chalice, a feminine symbol, whereas the stone pyramid below is interpreted as a Blade, a masculine symbol: the whole structure could thus express the union of the genders.

Moreover, Brown's protagonist concludes that the tiny stone pyramid is actually only the apex of a larger pyramid (possibly the same size as the inverted pyramid above), embedded in the floor as a secret chamber. This hidden submerged pyramid is hinted to hold the remains of Mary Magdalene, plus a set of ancient documents setting out the "true" story of early Christianity.

These items are identified as the real Holy Grail, hidden away by a secret society when the new Louvre foyer was constructed in the 1980s and 1990s.

In Reality
Up close, it is quite obvious that the stone pyramid below La Pyramide Inversée is merely sitting on top of the floor and does not really extend below floor level (it was indeed so designed that it can be slid aside when the floor is being cleaned).

The artist is said to be interested almost solely in abstract geometrical forms. If true, this would mean that the Inverted Pyramid has no other meaning or purpose than to function as a light-well in the underground shopping area where it is suspended.

But while Brown's interpretation is fiction, his novel generated has such public interest in these architectural features that the Louvre Museum had to rope off the area around the stone pyramid, evidently to prevent visitors from inflicting any damage!!

Day 74, Arc de Triomphe(5), Paris, France

And there it is , the Arc de Triomphe, at the end of the Avenue Des Champs Elysées, at the juncture of 12 roads, at the Place Charles de Gaulle.

The monument stands 49.5 m (162 ft) in height, 45 m (150 ft) wide and 22 m (72 ft) deep.
The large vault is 29.19 m (95.8 ft) high and 14.62 m (48.0 ft) wide.
The small vault is 18.68 m (61.3 ft) high and 8.44 m (27.7 ft) wide.

The Triumphal Arch was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate his victories and the glory of the French Army. He was ousted before the arch was completed and construction stopped. It restarted again in 1825 and was finally completed in 1836 during the reign of Louis-Philippe.

When Napoleon died in 1840, the procession carrying his ashes passed under the Arc on their way to the tomb in Les Invalides.

The white inner walls of the Arc de Triomphe are engraved with the names of the 128 battles of the Republic and Napoleon's Empire along with the names of the 558 generals who took part in them. Its sides are decorated with sculptures of the battles.

The body of an unknown soldier was buried under the Arc on November 11th 1920. He symbolizes the 1,500,000 soldiers who died during World War I. In 1923, the FIRST eternal flame ever used, was added.
This Flame of Remembrance is symbolically rekindled everyday at 6pm by war veterans and soldiers.

This traffic circle is ridiculously busy!!! Cars are zipping madly around the road so fortunately, there is an underground passage for pedestrians to pass beneath the busy road, then take the elevator to the top, and the view from up there is truly breathtaking....

Day 74, Avenue des Champs-Élysées(4), Paris, France

Okay girls we are now driving down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, one of the most famous streets in the world.

With its cinemas, cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped chestnut trees, and with rents as high as USD1.5 million per 1,000 square feet (92.9 square metres) of space, it remains the most expensive strip of real estate in Europe!!

The Avenue des Champs-Elysees is one of the most famous streets for shopping.
Look, there is Benetton, Nike, the Disney Store, Zara, Gap, Sephora and Virgin Megastore!!

Traditionally home of luxury brands, the Champs Elysees confirms its world class appeal as a prime real estate location and has lately seen the opening of some new big upscale shops such as the biggest Louis Vuitton department store in the world, which even hosts an exhibition room!

Nopi is really upset because she wanted a few LV bags but all the stores are closed.
Sorry Nopi:-((

And Sita wants a few purses.....oops sorry girls....oh,no Marti and Jarca also wanted to shop....

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is known in France as La plus belle avenue du monde ("The most beautiful avenue in the world").......and that it truly is!

Day 74, Place de la Concorde(3), Paris, France

We have arrived at the Place de la Concorde, one of the major public squares in Paris. In fact, in terms of area, its 86,400 square metres make it the largest square in the French capital.

The Place was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1755 as a moat-skirted octagon between the Champs-Élysées to the west and the Tuileries Gardens to the east. Filled with statues and fountains, the area was named Place Louis XV to honor the king at that time.

So does anyone remember any history lessons from school?
Unfortunately this square has become known in history for many bloody events that took place here!!

One terrible event that took place here was when many people were trampled to death trying to watch the fireworks at Marie Antoinette's wedding.

The most horrific time in the history of this square that most people relate to, is during the French Revolution when the equestrian statue of the king was removed and then a guillotine was erected in its place and the square was renamed from Place Louis XV to Place de la Revolution.

In a grim reminder to the nobility of a gruesome past, when the "Place de Grève" was a site where the nobility and members of the bourgeoisie were entertained watching convicted criminals being dismembered alive, the new revolutionary government erected the guillotine there.

The first notable to be executed at the Place de la Révolution was King Louis XVI, on January 21, 1793. Other important people guillotined there, often in front of cheering crowds, were Queen Marie Antoinette, Madame Élisabeth, Charlotte Corday, Madame du Barry, Danton, Desmoulins, Lavoisier, Robespierre, Louis de Saint-Just and Olympe de Gouge.

The guillotine was most active during the "Reign of Terror", in the summer of 1794, when in a single month more than 1,300 people were executed!!

But where is the guillotine??? And what is that standing in the middle of the square??

It's the Luxor Obelisk! The 3,300-year-old obelisk once marked the entrance to the Luxor Temple.

The Ottoman viceroy of Egypt, Mehmet Ali, offered the two obelisks standing at the entrance of Luxor Temple to France in 1829. This obelisk arrived in Paris on December 21, 1833. Three years later, on October 25, 1836, King Louis-Philippe had it placed in the center of Place de la Concorde, where a guillotine used to stand during the Revolution. The other one stayed in Egypt, too difficult and heavy to move to France with the technology at that time.

The obelisk, a red granite column, rises 23 metres (75 ft) high, including the base, and weighs over 250 metric tons (280 short tons).
Look, it is decorated with hieroglyphics exalting the reign of the pharaoh Ramses II.

Given the technical limitations of the day, transporting it was no easy feat — on the pedestal are drawn diagrams explaining the machinery that were used for the transportation. The obelisk is flanked on both sides by fountains constructed at the time of its erection on the Place.

In 1795, when the revolution was taking a more moderate course, the guillotine was removed from the square and its name was changed in token of national reconciliation.

The piazza was then renamed Place de la Concorde under the Directory (1795-1799) as a symbolic gesture of reconciliation after the turmoil of the French Revolution.

It underwent a series of name changes in the nineteenth century, but the city eventually settled on Place de la Concorde.

What's wrong Marti......a shiver has gone up Marti's spine...just thinking about all the blood that was spilled on this site!!!

Day 74, Les Invalides (2), Paris, France

Okay, we are now passing the Palais Bourbon, a palace located on the left bank of the Seine. It is the seat of the French National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French government.
We are actually towards that obelisk...in Place de la Concorde...

Wait a minute...Marti wants to know what is that....with a shiny dome?

Aaah, behind the Palais Bourbon, you can see Les Invalides. This is a complex of buildings in the city's 7th arrondissement containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building's original purpose.

The buildings house the Musée de l'Armée, the military museum of the Army of France, the Musée des Plans-Reliefs, and the Musée d'Histoire Contemporaine, as well as the burial site for some of France's war heroes, notably Napoleon Bonaparte!

Yes, its where Napoleon's tomb is!

Napoleon Bonaparte I had been exiled to the island of St Helena in 1815 and it was there that he died on 5th May in 1821 and was buried close to a spring, in the place known as Geranium Valley, where his remains stayed for almost 20 years, until 1840.

It was after seven years of negotiation with the British government that King Louis-Philippe of France obtained permission to bring back Napoleon's remains from St. Helena to rest in peace in France.

19 years after his death, on 8th October 1840 the coffin was exhumed and opened for a couple of minutes to check that his remains were inside and apparently, those present claimed that his the body was still perfectly preserved.

The coffin was transported back to France by French sailors under the Prince de Joinville's command on board the frigate called La Belle Poule and upon its arrival at Le Havre was then transported up the River Seine to Paris where it landed at Courbevoie.

And despite harsh winter weather, there was a state funeral held on 15th D ecember 1840 with the hearse travelling from the Arc de Triomphe down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées and across the Place de la Concorde to the Esplanade and finally to the cupola in St Jerome's Chapel where the coffin stayed until his tomb was constructed.

The tomb was only commissioned by King Louis-Philippe in 1842 and was the responsibility of the architect Visconti, who even had excavations done within the church to host the tomb, and the body of the Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte I was eventually laid there to rest on 2nd April 1861.

There is also a statue erected at the back of the crypt of the Emperor that bears the imperial emblems.

The tomb was crafted out of red porphyry imported from Russia and was placed on a green granite base from the Vosges area. It is circled by a crown of laurels and inscriptions that are permanent reminders of the great victories of the Empire.

So where is the tomb?
Aaah, there is its...the tomb itself is very impressive and the unusual very well thought out design means that we must bow to get a good look since the tomb is situated on a level lower than the visitor's viewing site!!!

Even in death, the man commands respect!!

Ok, we are now crossing over to the right bank of the Seine as we head for the infamous Place de la Concorde! Do you know anything about this place Sita?

Day 74, Opéra de Paris(1), France

What's wrong Amit??

Oooh, you want some commentary........ok.....

We are now driving past the magnificent Palais Garnier, also known as the Opéra de Paris or Opéra Garnier, but more commonly as the Paris Opéra.

It is a a 2,200-seat opera house on the Place de l'Opéra

A grand landmark designed by Charles Garnier in the Neo-Baroque style, it is regarded as one of the architectural masterpieces of its time.

Upon its inauguration in 1875, the opera house was officially named the Académie Nationale de Musique - Théâtre de l'Opéra. It retained this title until 1978 when it was re-named the Théâtre National de l'Opéra de Paris.

After the opera company chose the Opéra Bastille as their principal theatre upon its completion in 1989, the theatre was re-named as the Palais Garnier, though its more official name, the Académie Nationale de Musique, is still sprawled above the columns of its front façade.

In spite of the change of names and the Opera company's relocation to the Opéra Bastille, the Palais Garnier is still known by many people as the Paris Opéra, as have all of the many theatres which have served as the principal venues of the Parisian Opera and Ballet since its founding.

Truly stunning, don't you think? It is a pity that we don't have tickets to a performance here :-(

Day 74, Paris, France

Bonjour France!!!
Firstly let me wave "Hello" to my dear friend Sophie in Le Corbon........

Finally Amit......we are here......

Well informed, eloquent and oh-so-romantic, the 'City of Light' is a philosopher, a poet, a crooner.

Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower – at sunrise, at sunset, at night – have been described countless times, as have the Seine and the subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences between the Left and Right Banks.

But what writers have been unable to capture is the grandness and even the magic…….

OK everyone......oh I am so glad that all of you are so smartly dressed....now step into our chauffeur driven limo, and here is your map

....we are going to take an "Illuminations" tour of Paris tonight……..and for once I won't give you a running commentary…. …

As it always has been, Paris is a million different things to a million different people…..so you make up your own mind…..and create your own memories….….

Paris has all but exhausted the superlatives that can reasonably be applied to any city…so sit back and enjoy our evening tour…….