Walking in Paris
The Eiffel Tower at night time in Paris, France
33,000 Steps in Paris
Paris Sightseeing - Photo Essay
We are getting a kick out of tracking our steps on our Apple devices and Monday was a monster day. On our tourist days, we are usually over 20,000 steps but records were broken with more than 33,000 steps Monday.
We got off the metro in Montmartre and climbed the stairs in the rain to Sacré Cœur. The rain made the experience very different than two years prior when we arrived late afternoon on a glorious sunny day.
A quick walk by the Moulin Rouge and we powered on toward the Gallery Lafayette. We had planned to have lunch there but found the prices too high for our taste. Instead, we grabbed a quick sandwich at Paul's. A quick metro stop later and we were ready to face the Louvre.
Arriving at Sacré Cœur in the rain
The Louvre
Dominique had prepared a "Tour de Louvre" for us. It was very helpful as otherwise, you can quickly miss essential pieces of art in this magnificent museum. The last time we were in Paris we skipped the Louvre due to the fear of lineups and the sheer size of it.
The crowds were there for sure but perhaps not as distracting as we had anticipated. I tried something new. I put in my earbuds in an attempt to tune out the crowds and it actually worked well.
It was a stimulating way of blending music and art. Walking around, taking in all the masterpieces, and listening to music at the same time took it to another level for me.
Two young women appreciating the art at The Louvre
The Louvre was not just a study of art. It was also a study of people. Almost everyone has a cell phone in hand or a digital camera of sorts and is furiously capturing every angle. I wonder how many photos are snapped here daily and how they will clog up hard drives around the world.
It is an awe-inspiring place and of course, I was no different as I had my camera slung around my neck. I was perhaps a bit more relaxed about it than some of the guests who pushed their way by me to get that all-important photo.
Crowd fascination of the Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa
The highlight of the Louvre is the Mona Lisa. Or at least I think that is what most people expect. For us, it was a bit of a disappointment. The painting is very small and unless you elbow your way to the front you will not be seeing it up close and hence, you will miss the details which allegedly make it a masterpiece.
The crowd's fascination with the painting was however interesting to witness. Luckily there are plenty of other paintings to feast your eye on. Our favorites at the Louvre were the grand exhibition halls, the sculptures, and the Hammurabi's Code of law scripted into the two-meter high basalt stele.
The Seine, a tour boat, and Notre Dame on a sunny spring day in Paris, France.
Latin Quarter
After the Louvre we moved along into the Latin Quarter to find a good spot for dinner. We settled on a spot where no one stood outside trying to persuade us to dine at their restaurant.
It was the best choice this evening. Our waiter, quite a character, managed to smoke six cigarettes while serving us and the entire restaurant dinner.
We stayed in the city till after dark and took the metro to the Eiffel Tower and the Arch de Triumph to take in the sights at night. The Eiffel Tower was magnificent. I think it was close to 11:30 pm when we stumbled into to Do and Cathrine's place.
Travel Photography From Paris
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The photos in this article are made using a Fujifilm X-Pro2. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/2 R WR - XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done with Lightroom and I have made use of Fujifilm’s film simulations in some of the photos.
