Wow what a view

At the top of the Champs Elysess is the Arc de Triomphe – built from 1808 to 1836 it was built at the orders of Emperor napoleon to commemorate the victory of his troops in Austerlitz in 1805. Our visit was a “last minute impulse” type of thing and I am so glad that we went with it. The Arc de Triomphe sits in the middle of a massive 12 pointed roundabout and is accessed by a tunnel (so that visitors can avoid dicing with death in the Parisian traffic). We duly made our way underground and having purchased a ticked and passed bag inspection and the metal detectors, climbed the tight spiral stairs the 50m to the attic level (I wish I’d actually counted the steps… it was a LONG way up) and then another set up to the platform roof where we enjoyed the most amazing view including back down the Champs Elysess to the Lourve, the Port de la Denence, Sacre Coeur and of course the Eiffel Tower.Read more