Arc de Triomphe & Louvre

Up early again today and we had a nice breakfast in the hotel before heading out on a short walk to the Louvre.

We had a guided tour booked for the Louvre this morning and were a bit nervous when we saw the monstrous queue! It snaked around the pyramid and out of the courtyard. BUT, luckily we knew a secret entrance and only had about a dozen people ahead of us so we walked straight in.

Once again we had a fabulous guide who brought a bunch of the famous artworks to life by explaining their meanings and origins. We saw the Mona Lisa (which was actually bigger than I had expected), Venus de Milo, The Winged Victory of Samothrace (suspected to be the inspiration for the Nike symbol) and loads more. It really does make a difference to have a guide when you have no idea about art.

Afterwards we strolled through the Jardin de Tuileries which would be absolutely gorgeous on a warmer/sunny day.

There is loads of preparation for the Olympics everywhere we turn - temporary stadiums and roadworks etc. I reckon it will be crazy in a couple of months because the traffic is already madness.

We did some window shopping as we strolled up the Champs Élysées, as the most expensive shopping street in the world, it Waa quite the experience. The Louis Vuitton shop is a suitcase. Bizarre, but very cool.

Once we arrived st the Arc de Triomphe, we successfully talked ourselves into getting the lift rather than walking up the 300ish stairs (thank goodness).
Unfortunately it was raining but we still loved the views. The tree lined streets that fan out from the Arc de Triomphe are simply stunning. The traffic from above however, is crazy!!!

We found a lovely little restaurant and enjoyed a meal and cocktail before doing a bit of souvenir shopping and heading home after another jam packed day.

One more full day to explore this beautiful city.

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