France is a place of beauty. We found the French people to be friendly and helpful on our two week fall vacation in their country. We learned that France is nearly as big as Texas, with 62 million people, great highways and some 400 different cheeses.
The 700 year old cathedral, Notre-Dane is packed with history. With a pair of 200 foot tall bell towers, a facade studded with ornate statuary, beautiful stained glass rose windows, famous gargoyles, flying buttresses, it is France's most famous church.
The Champs-Elysees, is the largest avenue with the greatest concentration of traffic in Paris. We climbed the 284 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe where we were we were afforded a wonderful view of the city.
The world's most visited structure, the Eiffel Tower, was originally built as the entrance arch to the World's Fair in 1889. We rode the elevator 1,063 feet to the top for a spectacular view of Paris. Annually, over 250 million people visit the Eiffel Tower.
Pere Lachchaise cemetery is surrounded by a massive wall and lined with 5,000 trees. Of the 70,000 graves, we saw those of Oscar Wilde,
Jim Morrison, Edith Plaf, Gertrude Stein, Sarah Berhardt, and Moliere.
Montmartre Butte, Paris' highest point, (420 feet) is the home to the 13th century Sainte-Chaplle Catherdal. The five domed, church took 44 years to build. (1875-1919)
Many Parisians walk or bike to work.
After a long day of walking, a boat cruise down the Seine River proved to be just what we needed.
Later, we enjoyed a delicious meal at a small outdoor cafe.
Paris is a place to enjoy wonderful cheeses, wine, chocolate and outdoor dining.
Arranged in a u-shaped 16th century palace, accented by a 20th century glass pyramid, the Louvre is a Paris landmark. There is so much to see (and it was crowded) so we were selective and headed for the our favorites, plus Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and other Greek and Roman masterpieces.
Versailles Palace
The 260 foot courtyard gate decorated with 100,000 gold leaves, marks the entry to Versailles. The palace and gardens took 28 years to build (1682-1710) are set on 19,262 acres, which is bigger than Manhattan!
Hall of Mirrors
Versailles gardens are as beautiful as the palace.
Honfluer,70 miles northwest of Paris, was settled by Scandinavians in 1027.
The houses were designed at a time when houses were taxed based on their width, not height.
This town is a photographer's paradise!
D-Day Beaches
The 75 miles of Atlantic coast north of Bayeux, is littered with WWII museums, monuments, cemeteries and battle remains left in tribute to the courage of the British, Canadians, and American armies that successfully carried out the largest military operation in history: D-Day in1944.
The 70 yard long Bayeux tapestry, made of wool embroidered onto linen cloth, tells the story of William the Conqueror's rise to power in 1066.
The Bayeux Cathedral is a massive building, as big as Paris' Notre-Dane, dominates this small town.
The long history of Mont-Sainte-Michel is thought to date back to 708, when Bishop of Avranches, had a sanctuary built on the island to honor the archangel Michael. In the 10th century, the Benedictines built the abbey, while a village grew up below the walls. The tides around this small island can vary up to 46 feet from high to low water marks. One of France's most recognizable landmarks,
Chartres Cathedral was first built in the 11th century and then rebuilt four times on the same site,
due to fires.
LeMans was our last town on our trip to France. We toured the old town area and then headed for the world famous Le Mans Grand Prix race track. Unfortunately, it was closed on the day we stopped by.
We loved our two weeks in Paris and northern France and look forward to visiting the rest of the country in the near future!
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