The Paris Chronicles : Day 3

Tama ba namang makalimutan ko na agad ang pinuntahan namin? :P

Day 3 in Paris doesn't include Arc de Triomphe yet. For this day, we visited the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Pantheon, Invalides, Diana's Flame and the Eiffel Tower at Night.

Our first stop? The Statue of Liberty.

Then, we went to the Eiffel Tower. We wanted to go up the tower but the crowds of people was just overwhelming! We knew we wouldn't be able to go anywhere if we waited. So we just had to be content with taking pictures from ground level.

Then, being Easter Sunday, we went to hear mass at Notre Dame... or at least tried to. Like the Eiffel Tower, this place was mobbed with people... Tip: Don't go here when mass is being held, and if you want a solemn mass, I wouldn't suggest the church either. I was disappointed... but still, you can't deny the grandeur of the Notre Dame.

Then we had lunch at this cafe near just to the side of Notre Dame, and the lasagna was delicious! Maybe I'll make a post just on food... but really, I loved it. And the hot chocolate? Mmmm....

Anyway, our next stop was the Pantheon. This mausoleum contains the remains of some of France's cultural greats, like Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie and Alexandre Dumas. There was actually an event going on when we arrived, volunteers were raising money for Cancer research. I bought a bag from a very nice, Frenchwoman who gave me a 'discount'. But now when I think about it, maybe I shouldn't have asked for a discount since it was for charity... oh well... habit I guess. :)

A few steps away from the Pantheon was the church of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, which contains the shrine of St. Genevieve's remains, the Patron saint of Paris. This is another beautiful church... I can't seem to get enough of them. The tomb of Blaise Pascal is also in this church, yes, that Pascal, who is regarded as the father of the modern computer.

Then, we went to Les Invalides. It's a series of buildings that are related to the military history of France. Unfortunately, we weren't able to go inside because the museum was already closed... we would have loved to see Napoleon Bonaparte's tomb, which is housed inside the Dome of the Invalides.

Afterwards, we passed by Diana's memorial, Liberty's flame... a memorial for Princess Di over the tunnels where she had the tragic accident that killed her and Dodi Al Fayed.

We then went back to Montmarte, to Sacre Coeur to buy souvenirs...This time, we rode the furnicular up instead of taking the stairs. Then we ate somewhere around the area, enjoying another great dinner in Paris. Then, we made our way back to the Eiffel Tower, which was impressive by day, but amazing by night... I can't explain how a steel structure could be so beautiful! It was overwhelming. And when the light show started, Marbi, Jess and I couldn't help but scream out loud of excitement! It was that amazing!
To end this post, take a look at the video of the Eiffel Tower Light Show... I swear, my camera doesn't do it any justice. I was really, really blown away by the Eiffel Tower... and I can't help but say it again and again. :) Enjoy!