Author Topic: France and Netherland (Read 142726 times)

hangchoi · « **Reply #30 on:** 14 April 2016, 21:16:40 »

On the way to our next spot, we passed by an ice-cream shop which has the best sobert that I have ever tasted. This is a lemon basil sobert.

hangchoi · « **Reply #31 on:** 14 April 2016, 21:21:56 »

Another place we passed by was a restaurant, a cafe actually. It is Le Procope, the oldest cafe in the world, having over 250 year history. Voltaire, Rousseau, even Napoleon were customers of this cafe. You can see the plate there talking about this.

hangchoi · « **Reply #32 on:** 14 April 2016, 21:28:56 »

Originally we planned to go to Musee d'Orsay, but the queue for Museum Pass holders was so long (Sunday, you know.) We decided to move to Arc de Triomphe and then did some shopping.

Frankly speaking, we would not go up the top of the Arch if Museum Pass did not give us free access. It turned out to be an interesting point to visit. First, you entered the Arch at the ground level, then you have to walk up a few hundreds step spiral staircase. After that, you will arrive at a level below the roof. That is a small exhibition area about the history of the Arch.

hangchoi · « **Reply #33 on:** 14 April 2016, 21:32:27 »

At the roof, the view was stunning. You will oversee the core area of Paris, including the main shopping street Champs-Elysees.

hangchoi · « **Reply #34 on:** 14 April 2016, 21:35:33 »

Walked down the other side, there was a small exhibition area showing the uniform of French army.....then you took another hundreds step on the spiral staircase to leave. The last few pictures shows the Arch's ground level.

hangchoi · « **Reply #35 on:** 14 April 2016, 21:41:29 »

The next day, having the experience of the yesterday, we woke up early to go to Notre Dame. The tower tour opens at 10:00am and we arrived at 9:30, so that we can have time to visit the chapel first. I was there last time but this time I had more time to see the details.

This is a perfect example of Gothic structure. The entrance door shows the judgment day.

hangchoi · « **Reply #36 on:** 14 April 2016, 21:47:35 »

The tour, like the Arc de Triomphe, you have to walk up the spiral staircase to the middle level. At that level you can see the Seine and the city. You may go into the bell house which made me think of The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Hugo. The bell weighs more than 13 tons.

hangchoi · « **Reply #37 on:** 14 April 2016, 21:50:01 »

They put a net to prevent falling objects and it made your phototaking more difficult. Again, you are up from one tower via spiral staircase and you will leave from the other side, via another spiral staircase.

hangchoi · « **Reply #38 on:** 14 April 2016, 21:52:49 »

The famous stained glass on east side was beautiful. This is the original one, how good the craftmanship at that time.

hangchoi · « **Reply #39 on:** 14 April 2016, 21:58:21 »

Le Sainte Chapelle is located opposite to Notre Dame. It is famous by its stained glasses around the chapel. Somehow we will pass by this when we go to Musee de Louvre. We went in to have a visit as we need not to queue and pay.....

It also houses a part of Relics.