France

Paris, October 2006

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Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel

From the square at the Louvre you can't really miss seeing the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel; as it is only a few steps away from the museum. And probably at first sight you think right away about the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile, which is the big and the famous triumphal arch everyone knows. This 'mini' Arc is 20 metres high and about 23 meters wide. It has one high arch, flanked by two smaller ones and the exterior is decorated by eight Corinthian rose-coloured granite columns.

On top you can see eight statues of soldiers of the Empire (photo below on the right). The whole structure is finished off with 4 bronze horses (photo above). And if you wonder if these bronze horses look familiar to you, you could be right! This statue originally comes from the facade of Basilica di San Marco in Venice, and when you have visited Venice, you will have most likely seen the exact same statue. The statue in Paris isn't the original though, as these famous Greek horses were returned to Venice in 1815.

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel

The famous Arc de Triomphe and this 'mini' one have a few things in common, they were both commissioned by Napoleon to commemorate France's military victories in 1805. They are also both part of the "Axe historique" ("grand historic axis") of Paris, which is an amazing nine-kilometre long linear route which dominates central and western Paris. The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel is the easternmost part of the Grand Axis. So why don't we follow a bit of this "Axe Historique" and walk slowly westwards......

Jardin des Tuileries

I am following the "Axe historique" (also called Voie Triomphale / Triumphal Way) to the west and immediately end up in another famous place in Paris: the "Jardin des Tuileries". This park is a wonderful green oasis, located in between the Louvre, with its Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, and the impressive "Place de la Concorde". To the south you have the Seine and on the north side is one of Paris's most famous streets: the "Rue de Rivoli". Being surrounded by so many major attractions of Paris, it is not really a surprise that this park is very popular. It's the perfect place to relax and enjoy the sunshine.

Probably your feet are tired of walking so much around in Paris and they absolutely need a rest. Or you are taken by all the art in the Louvre and a nice and quiet moment in the park is the best way to let all the impressions of the day sink in. Whatever the reason might be, it is a park that does seem to draw in the crowds.

The gardens are a bit predictable with their formal style from the 17th century and as usual with a formal styled garden from that time, you can see quite a few statues here. The Tuileries Garden was designed by landscape architect Andre Le Notre in 1664 and is about 63 acres (25 hectares) in size.

Rue de Rivoli

Angelina! Chocolate heaven!

I probably would have walked through "Jardin des Tuileries" towards the "Place de la Concorde" in a normal case and avoided busy streets like the Rue de Rivoli. But... I just HAD to go to a famous 'Salon de Thé' here called 'Angelina', world famous for its hot chocolate. And it was absolutely worth the mini detour!!

Angelina! on the Rue de Rivoli

The Rue de Rivoli is not just 'a road', but probably one of the most famous roads in Paris. Its total length is quite impressive with 3060 metres. The street bears the name of one of Napoleon's early victories: the battle of Rivoli from 1797. Along the street you can see shops among some of the most fashionable in the world. The little part along de "Jardin des Tuileries" was certainly not some of the cheapest! But it was fun to do a bit of window shopping here, hahaha, even for a non-shopping fan like me ;-)

Place de la Concorde

After our leisurely walk on the Rue de Rivoli, and my stomach happy after that delicious cup of hot chocolate at Angelina's, we are ready to explore more of Paris. And the Place the la Concorde is where we are heading to. Traffic is swirling around the square and the sun is smiling down on us. This is one of Paris' largest squares and a busy one as well. But the traffic couldn't hide the beauty of this place for me, even if it tried its best at doing so.

This octagon shaped square is dominated by a huge obelisk and I loved walking around here and taking it all in. Don't forget to go up to the Jardin the Tuileries before you cross the street towards the middle of the square though! From this point of view you have some really nice photo opportunities.... if you get here at the right time of the day that is. I arrived late afternoon, not the best of time of day. But when you go early during the day, you probably have the sun in your back, and you are able to get some lovely photos of the Place to Concorde, with the Eiffel tower in the background (see photo on the left).

Place de la Concorde

The statue in the foreground in the left photo is one of the 8 statues surrounding the square, created by Jacob Ignaz Hittorf. They are all placed in a corner of the octagon and represent the French cities of Lille, Strasbourg, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Brest and Rouen. In the photo on the right you can see the statue representing Nantes.

Obélisque de Luxor

Obélisque de Luxor on the Place de la Concorde

The Place de la Concorde is dominated by this huge Egyptian obelisk decorated with hieroglyphics in honour to the reign of the pharaoh Ramses II (photo 2). It's amazing to know that this obelisk once marked the entrance to the Luxor Temple. In 1829 France received this 3300 year old obelisk as a present from Egypt and King Louis-Philippe placed in the centre of the Place de la Concorde. On the pedestal (photo 3 and 4) you can see some of the drawings which explain how they managed to transport the obelisk to France. This impressive column is made of red granite and is 23 metres high. It used to be part of the Cleopatra's Needles; a trio of obelisks, which now are spread out over the word: one being right here in Paris and the other two in London and New York.

Obélisque de Luxor on the Place de la Concorde

The Obélisque de Luxor and the Place the la Concorde are part of the "Axe historique" that I mentioned a bit earlier on in my tips. The Axe Historique (or also known as the "grand historic axis", "Voie Triomphale" or "Triumphal Way") is an amazing nine-kilometre long linear route which dominates central and western Paris. This route is consists some of Paris' most famous landmarks like the Louvre with its Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, Jardin des Tuileries, Place de la Concorde, Arc de Triomphe and ends up at La Défense.