This post will give a quick tour of Paris! The city is divided in 20 arrondissements: the first one is in the center, the following ones spiral outwards in a clock-wise direction. Most of the famous tourist attractions can be found in the first 8 arrondissements.
Even though the overnight train from Germany into Paris was rough, we begin at the Gare de l’Est (East train station):
Musée du Louvre: 1st arrondissement. Say hi to Lisa for me!
Below it, the Inverted Pyramid (La Pyramide Inversée) in the Louvre’s underground shopping center.
And what do you know? There’s a fruit here!
Pompidou Centre: 4th arrondissement. Largest museum for modern art in Europe.
Rue Mouffetard: 5th arrondissement. Oldest and liveliest neighbourhoods. Love the cobblestone roads!
…and who could forget the iconic Arc de Triomphe: 8th arrondissement?
At the Opera House: 9th arrondissement. Apple has a store right next to it!
Galeries Lafayette: 9th arrondissement. Just behind the Opera House is this very popular and fancy department store…super crowded. Tourist black hole.
Basilique du Sacré-Coeur: 18th arrondissement. Roman Catholic church overlooking the entire Paris:
Nearby, you’ll find painters painting, and some even playing:
Montmartre’s Jean Marais sculpture of the Marcel-Aymé fictional character Le Passe-Muraille (translates to “The Man Who Walked Through Walls“). You can read the story elsewhere, but the lesson is don’t mistake asprin with medication that removes your ability to walk through walls. You’ll end up like this:
Wondering around the rest of the city:
Parisians on the streets:
Cafes – you’ll always find Parisians sitting outside facing the streets:
Bakery (boulangerie) and cheese shops (fromagerie):
…and the journey continues!