Mom and dad charged out of the hotel and headed for the buses. They only had two hours to get to the luncheon cruise on the Seine. They grabbed a Hop On/Off bus and enjoyed some more of the view.
The bus came to the entrance way into The Louvre, and the square where Marie Antoinette and Louis IV lost their heads to the guillotine. Would this be a cleaner way to wipe out the mouses and bugs? No, I think I’d have nightmares about headless mouses. Makes me shiver….ugh. Wonder why the entrance is so tall and yet narrow?
All vehicles had to squeeze through the gate. Perhaps there was an extra inch or two on either side of the bus. Mom said it was an odd feeling to be squished to fit. I don’t think they actually squished her though….yuck….a revolting thought.
They arrived on the other side and ta da….there was The Louvre.
Sorry bout this picture my friends….dad seemed to get the wrong angle.. You get the idea though.
This is Place de la Concorde. Mom says it’s huge and has quite the history. Wikipedia supplied the facts we needed to inform you.
The place was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1755 as a moat-skirted octagon between the Champs-Elysées to the west and the Tuileries Garden to the east. Decorated with statues and fountains, the area was named Place Louis XV to honor the king at that time. The square showcased an equestrian statue of the king, which had been commissioned in 1748 by the city of Paris, sculpted mostly by Edmé Bouchardon, and completed by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle after the death of Bouchardon.
At the north end, two magnificent identical stone buildings were constructed. Separated by the rue Royale, these structures remain among the best examples of Louis Quinze style architecture. Initially, the eastern building served as the French Naval Ministry. Shortly after its construction, the western building became the opulent home of the Duc d’Aumont. It was later purchased by the Comte de Crillon, whose family resided there until 1907. The famous luxury Hôtel de Crillon, which currently occupies the building, took its name from its previous owners.
French Revolution
During the French Revolution in 1789 the statue of Louis XV of France was torn down and the area renamed Place de la Révolution. The new revolutionary government erected the guillotine in the square, and it was here that King Louis XVI was executed on 21 January 1793.
Other important figures guillotined on the site, often in front of cheering crowds, were Queen Marie Antoinette, Princess Élisabeth of France, Charlotte Corday, Madame du Barry, Georges Danton, Camille Desmoulins, Antoine Lavoisier, Maximilien Robespierre, Louis de Saint-Just and Olympe de Gouges.
In 1795, under the Directory, the square was renamed Place de la Concorde as a gesture of reconciliation after the turmoil of the French Revolution. After the Bourbon Restoration of 1814, the name was changed back to Place Louis XV, and in 1826 the square was renamed Place Louis XVI. After the July Revolution of 1830 the name was returned to Place de la Concorde and has remained that way since.
Time had gotten away from these two again. They were not sure where the cruise was so…… it was taxi time again. Mom and dad arrived with little time to spare. They were shown to their tables right away and mom plopped down and started to take her coat off. One must remember these tables are small and very close together….mom forgot and stretched away like she was at home. She spilled the wine on the table behind her. There were gasps but when mom turned around to say she was sorry, the waiter had already moved them to another table. This is how to keep peeps away from you in the future. MOL
This was the appetizer. Five different selections to start the meal. The main course offered five small selections as did the desserts. A most tantalizing meal.
A replica of the Statue of Liberty with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
The studio apartments that look quaint and artsy are all over Paris, not in a certain area….everywhere. Seemed to take away their charm to mom. These apartments are very expensive.
After the yummy food and a rest mom was set to go again. They headed back toward the Mercure Montmartre hotel….on the Metro this time. They actually went right to the correct exit and headed to the Moulin Rouge.
Feeling confident in their ability to get about in a strange city, they decided to catch a wee train up to Sacre Coeur.
Mom loved this train….look at those cobblestones too. The ride was a tad bumpy. MOL Get that luncheon jumping around in her tummy.
Wow…this church is a real beauty even by Parisians standards.
Wikipedia gives us some additional info on Sacre Coeur,
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica and often simply Sacré-Cœur (French: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, pronounced [sakʁe kœʁ]), is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Paris, France. A popular landmark, the basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. Sacré-Cœur is a double monument, political and cultural, both a national penance for the defeat of France in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War and the socialist Paris Commune of 1871[1] crowning its most rebellious neighborhood, and an embodiment of conservative moral order, publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was an increasingly popular vision of a loving and sympathetic Christ.[2]
The Sacré-Cœur Basilica was designed by Paul Abadie. Construction began in 1875 and was finished in 1914. It was consecrated after the end of World War I in 1919.
For more info go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris.
This little area is also an artist’s haven. Many paintings and designed items could be found while pounding the cobblestones. Mom found a few items to warm our hearts and set our paws to clapping for more. Mom and dad dragged themselves back to the hotel for a rest before they met up with Phenny, Katty and Mark from Easy’s Blog tomorrow.
To read about our meeting and first day together just click on Easy’s Blog
It’s great to see it with your eyes and I love your thoughts!!! headless mice… no… better not huh? you are right about the narrow gate… the path to heaven is narrow… or like your mama says in her signature : the path to heaven passes through a teapot ;O))))
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MOL….Me wonders….were these narrow entry ways made for carts and horses….before some peep invented vehicles with engines….I guess they were. COOL!
Shoko
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Squeals with piggy excitement. What a wonderful time you had in the city of love. We as well love the artist area. So many aspiring folks for sure. I’m not sure about the food though. I think my tummy would rumble for more – snorts with piggy laughter. XOXO – Bacon
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The food was delish and to them there seemed enough but they weren’t stuffed. MOL
Shoko
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I guess that’s a happy medium, right? Nibbles here/there throughout the day. XOXO – Bacon
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Wow. Great pictures. Great post, too. Interesting city and history. Enjoy!
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I must admit they did make the most of their time in Paris. However, riding the buses and Metro leaves little time for visiting this monuments on the inside.
Shoko
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I am luffing your tour around Paris, you peeps must have had an AMAZING time there!
Loves and licky kisses
Princess Leah xxx
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A very memorable time Princess Leah. They ran themselves ragged but loved every minute of it…um….maybe not the long rides on the Metro. They sure saw all sides of Paris though.
Shoko
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Makes me want to go back to Paris!
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There is definitely a lot of fun to be had in this city. We’d love to read your experiences in Paris.
Shoko
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That food looks sooooooooooooooooooooo yummy!
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Most satisfying. Mom says she did not care for the goose pate but thinks that could be because she felt for the goose. The goose are fed a special diet to make their liver fatty and then slaughtered. Yuck!! Mean or what?
Shoko
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Shoko, they have seen so much, great places. Most of all I like Sacre Coeur, it is more than beautiful.
Thank you for this great post.
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Sacre Coeur is a delightful area. The statues on the church are just marvelous.
Mom got me a place mat at the artsy part.
Shoko
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Paris is a magical place and so many things to see and do. When my Mom and Dad were there last there was no little train to Sacre Coeur – they just wore out their knees and shoes climbing 87 million steps but it was worth it for the view….can’t wait for more of this fab trip!
Hugs, Teddy and Mom
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Wow to climb that hill would be the end. I’ll bet your mom and dad sat down and had a cold drink when they got to the top. It would be an interesting walk though. The view is breathtaking mom says.
Shoko
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Truly fun and beautiful pictures! It is lovely there judging by your pictures. And FOOD! The Basilica is amazing.
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The food is definitely different. The steaks are not like our steaks. The cows are fed a different diet so the meat is not as tender or tasty. Dad said the steak was tough and never ordered anymore in France. The church or I should say Basilica was a high point of their visit.
Shoko
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kali & shoko…..total lee awesum post two day; tell yur mom N dad we said thanx for sharin; we like de wind mill fotoz , N hay bee for we forgetz…if ewe ore cow kitty wood like ta bee
“ree crootz” pleez ta let uz noe ~~~~~~ 🙂 ♥♥ heerz two a flashlight fish kinda week o end ~~~~ ♥♥
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“Ree crootz” you say….that sounds interesting. Ree crootz for what…you aren’t going to make us clean your boat are you? Kali likes jumping in water and sliding around the kitchen so she makes a terrible mess. We will pop by and see what’s happening in your corner of the world.
Shoko
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Loving these travel posts! I’ve never been to Paris, but I feel I could manage my way around now. I love all the details and pictures too, great post! 😺💕xxx
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One day you will go to Paris. The Eurostar will take you right to Paris. You can go on the Eurostar…if mom can do it so can you. It’s definitely a great place to visit.
Loves Shoko
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Your Mom is quite brave though…my son has been on the Eurostar. I’d be all right travelling on the buses…I’m never terribly happy on trains or boats and I used to get awful travel sickness too! 🙂 xxx
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hay ewe galz…thanx for playin along with de codd mother ree crootz…. cow kitty can play alon two if him wantz……pleez send uz yur namez ewe wood like ta use N we will bring ewe in twode familee!! ❤️❤️
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Hopefully you got Cow Kitty too. He’s a crooner from way back.
Shoko…the soul of the family
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I am glad your folks got to see so many famous places. I would have knocked the glass of wine over too and probably more than that. 🙂
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She isn’t always a stumble bum but if peeps put small tables real close to each other…somebody’s going to knock something over. It had to be mom but at least the peeps were whisked away to a clean table right away.
Shoko
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Yes the cows are mostly grass fed, therefore have little fat to make the meat tender and tasty. And the geese get something like funnels shoved in their mouths to pour down the corn to make their livers fat They don’t even get to enjoy it. I walked the 87 million steps up to Sacre Coeur and back down again. The neighborhood at the bottom gets a bit rough, as it is (or at least used to be) the red light district. I am so glad you experienced so many delightful things in Paris, and can’t wait to read about your time with Phenny’s folks.
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Grass fed eh? I didn’t think that would make such a difference. When I eat grass I barf…guess the cows use their 87 stomachs to digest the grass. The poor geese….force feeding like that is disgusting!
What a walk up that hill. Worth it though. Moulin Rouge and various not so great establishments are at the bottom so maybe that Rue is for wild and crazy evenings.
Shoko
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MeoW what bootyful sites. We furgot to add, how strange dat peeps know who da pick pawckets are, and they’re not in jail. MOL but we’re glad your daddy got warned and didn’t lose dat pawsum camera. It sure is a nice one. Can’t wait fur more. Big hugs
Luv ya’
Dezi and Raena
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Several places have photos of known thieves for peeps info. I do believe some of these can be found on cell phone apps….but I could be wrong. This lady could have seen this guy on TV on the news. One can’t keep criminals in jail forever…when their time is up out they go. Same as the States and Canada.
Jean
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These are some beautiful photos of a beautiful place! How wonderful that you go to visit and go sightseeing!
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More to come….London seemed like a blast also.
Shoko
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What an amazing trip. Thanks so much for all the detail as it makes us feel like we were along for the fun. That meal was so delicious!
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