This was the hotel we stayed in while in Paris.  It is right next to the Republique Plaza.  The night we arrived was the eve of presidential election day.  There was a political demonstration in the Plaza because the ultra-right wing candidate (some called him a fascist) lost to the incumbent. Where the hotel was located relative to some famous French locations.
Here's Notre Dame on the Isle of the City.  It's impressive as you walk up to it because of the incredible detail of the statues. The statues depict either biblical characters or French saints.
The following four pictures are taken from website pictures of Notre Dame and were much better than ours.  The flying buttresses are quite impressive.  What architect thought of doing that?
Inside Notre Dame are carvings of Bible scenes.  During periods of widespread illiteracy, these pictures were used to teach or remind folk of the biblical message.  Zaccheus climbing a tree to see Jesus.  (Lk.19) Jesus washing his disciples' feet, the disciples asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Jesus praying in the Garden.
Also on the Isle of the City is Sainte Chapelle.  This Gothic Catholic chapel was built in Paris in 1246 during the Middle Ages by Saint Louis, the king of France.  It was designed as a shrine for a crown of thorns supposedly worn by Jesus. The crown was bought from Constantinople (Istanbul in Turkey) when many European nobles fought Muslims to wrest Jerusalem.

There are 15 colorful stained glass windows.  Each window portrays events from a biblical book.  At the center window, shown here (though you can't see it), is the death and resurrection of Jesus.  

To the right are more shots of Sainte Chapelle.  These pictures are from a website.
Then we walked down the Boulevard St. Germaine to the Musee d'Orsay, housing a large collection of French impressionists.  The Musee is a converted train station. 

 

 In the Musee d'Orsay:  Ming has a print of this Monet at home.  It was quite special to finally see the original.
Here are some paintings we saw (taken from the Musee d'Orsay website): one of  Monet's Haystacks paintings. Monet's Poppies (1880) and Rouen Cathedral.  Harmony in Blue (1893).

Post-Impressionist paintings:  Paul Cezanne's Apples and Oranges (1899).  Van Gogh's The Siesta (1889-90).  Auguste Renoir: Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette, Montmartre (1876). 

Here is the view from the top of the Musee d'Orsay.  It is right across the river from the Louvre. 
The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 against lots of opposition.  It was named for Gustave Eiffel, the architect.  On inauguration day (March 31, 1889), Eiffel climbed the 1710 steps to the third level of the tower.  He unfurled the French flag to a 21 cannon salute.  Eiffel later inscribed these words in a woman's fan : " the French flag is the only one with a 300 meter pole."  The Tower was the highest building in the world until New York's Chrysler Building in 1930.

Across the street from the Eiffel Tower is a park with water being fired from cannons.  It felt great to be cooled by the light mist it made.

Here is a view of Paris from the first floor of the Eiffel Tower.  Paris doesn't have a lot of tall buildings.
"Must...keep...going..."  John acquired a taste for climbing on this trip, into his stroller, and up the Eiffel Tower.    Later in the evening, we took a night boat ride down the Seine River.  Many buildings along the river are illuminated.  These pictures are postcard pictures. 

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