This was our first full day in Paris and we were going to take advantage of it. After a good night’s rest, we we up shortly before 8am, showered and headed out. For breakfast we grabbed some fruit from a local grocer and some croissants and quiche from the local bakery. The croissant and the quiche just melted in my mouth. They were extremely fresh and delicious.

We made our way to our first tourist destination, the Orsay Museum (or musee d’Orsay). While the Louvre covers art and objects up to the 1800s, the Orsay museum covers art from the 1800’s to early 1900’s. The museum used to be an 1800s train station, so even the architecture of the building is a sight to see. We got to the museum around 10, bought our Museum Pass tickets and rushed in. The view of the statues and paintings just in the main hallway left us breathless. Erin and I managed to complete the first floor (which includes Monet‘s, Degas‘ and Manet‘s) by noon. For lunch we stopped at the museum’s restaurant which was very decadently decorated. It felt like we were in a royal dining room. For lunch I had Ravioles (small cheese ravioli) and Erin had some a spectacular crepe.

With our bellies full, we headed to the 2nd floor of the museum to view more paintings and statues. The 2nd floor also gives visitors a great view of the old clock. We then went straight up to the 5th floor where more Impressionists paintings could be found. After which we made our way down to the 3rd floor where there was an exhibition on the old Chat Noir theater. Wanting to hit another tourist site, we skipped the 4th floor and rushed into the souvenir shop where we picked up a few mementos. After leaving the museum, we crossed the street to have our first look at the Seine river and snap some pictures of Paris architecture.

Down to the subway we went, where we made our way to the Eiffel Tower. The sheer amount of people was almost overwhelming. 45 minutes after lining up, we finally had our tickets in hand. We had to line up again to take the elevator to the 2nd platform as there was no way we were going to walk all the way up. 30 minutes later we had finally made it to the 2nd platform, only to find out that there was another 30 minute wait to get to the 3rd platform. We quickly walked around and snapped a few pictures before getting in line.

After 2 hours after we first lined up for tickets, we finally made it to the 3rd platform which is at the very top of the tower. The view of Paris from this height was absolutely breathtaking! A 360 degree view of the city was around us.  We spent close to 45 minutes on the platform, looking out at the city, spotting famous landmarks and taking a lot of pictures. Once we made our way down to the 2nd platform, we stopped by the souvenir shop where we picked up some souvenirs for ourselves and our families.

Once we made our way back to the ground, we walked across the street (and over the Seine) to the Trocadero. This gave us an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower and the Champs de Mars behind. We took some more pictures and just relaxed to enjoy the view, which included some models doing a photoshoot 🙂

It was still a bit early, so we decided to make our way to another landmark, the Statue of Liberty. The big one, as everyone knows, resides in New York City, but France did keep a smaller version of the statue which sits atop a small island on the Seine. If you blink you might completely miss that its there, as its not very imposing.

Before heading back to the hotel, Erin wanted to get some supper, of all places, at McDonald’s. I indulged her wishes so we made our way to one that was near the Pere Lachaise cemetary. Did you know that in France the Quarter Pounder with cheese is called a Royal with cheese? Well that’s what we had 😛 Due to the use of local ingredients, even Mcdonald’s fast food tastes a little better than in Canada.

After chowing down, we finally worked our way back to the hotel, our feet extremely sore from all the walking and standing. Next time we come to Paris we have to remember to bring some good insoles for our shoes. After a refreshing shower, we laid in bed, watched some French tv and fell into a deep and much needed slumber.

> Photo Gallery Link: Orsay Museum
> Photo Gallery Link: Eiffel Tower
> Photo Gallery Link: Statue of Liberty