SkyWatch #68: Parisian Sky

The mad rush to see the sights in about 4 hours (minus 1.5 hours train to and from airport and about 30 mins to navigate around airport)began. We had to stick to our research to map out our itinerary. At home we made print outs on how to get from airport to Sight 1, from Sight 1 to Sight 2, etc. This way we thought we could maximize our time the best, in case we have no time to get to the hop on hop off bus.


Sight 1 happens to be Notre Dame De Paris (or Our Lady of Paris)
Fact: One of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in the world.

Fact: No time to visit inside. There was something going on inside judging by the crowd that was rushing to get in. Did not bother as you know clock is ticking. But husband and I had taken quite a few photos.

Personal Impression: Amazing architecture, reminds me so much of San Sebastian Church in Manila. I don't which one I am more impressed. Of course I haven't seen the interiors of this one.

Sight 2: Eiffel Tower (no surprise here)
Fact: Nothing more iconic than Eiffel Tower. Tallest structure in Paris and according to wiki it is the single most visited paid monument in the world (did not know that). Very impressive record.

Fact: Arrived to the tower from the back (I'm assuming) which is a pleasant angle to view the tower and where all of my shots were taken. Again, time constrainst prevented us from further inspection, like taking the ride up. The temperature which was chilly all day had taken a bit more of a drop when we were there, which only heightened the experience I thought.

Personal Impression: I was very impressed. We sat on a bench, ate our delicious Parisian pastries, fed the pigeons while watching the imposing beauty in front of us. Glad to have made the effort to see it. Will I plan a vacation around seeing it again? I don't know.

Sight 3: Arc de Triomphe (again no surprise here)
Fact: One of the famous monuments in Paris. It stands to honor the those who fought for France especially during the Napoleonic wars. The numbers are: 49.5 m in height, 45 m in width, and 22 m deep. It's architectural stye is considered as ASTYLAR (architectural term given to designs in which neither columns or pilasters are used for decorative purpose).

Fact: Watched from across the street when the sun was starting to set giving it a certain glow, making the experience much more satisfying.

Personal Impression: Seeing the monument in person even from across the street is much better than just looking at other people's pictures of it.

Mission accomplished. We had seen the sights, took photos, ate pastries, drank coffee, walked by the Seine, bought some souvenirs, fed the birds, helped by friendly Parisians (who says they're rude?) to find our way/s and best of all, made it in time to catch our plane.

This is my early entry to this week's Skywatch. All photos were taken November 11, 2009.

Next post will be filed under "also seen in Paris" category.