Paris - The Iconic Landmarks

This was a day we spent visiting all the iconic landmarks of Paris. Since all of them were located within quite a small radius, we had the pleasure of walking around in leisure and taking  in all the sights, colours and the overall feel of Paris. With cloudy, breezy weather and art displays all over the side walks, it turned out to be such an idyllic setting!

Our first stop was the 'Sainte-Chapelle', much famed for its stained glass paintings and it sure did not disappoint! It was such a beautiful sight and we were equally amazed by the amount of effort that had been put in to refurbish and preserve them!

The magnificent stained glass paintings that walled the shrine

We then walked back to the Seine river bank and spent some time in one of the bridges above the river, watching cruise boats go by and taking in the beautiful scenery of the river lined by historic buildings.  The little one had a great time waving at the cruise boats and was thrilled when people waved back :)

Next in list was the Louvre museum. Standing in the long line and seeing exhibits in the museum was out of question with a five year old. So we chose not to go in and see the museum itself. Instead, we spent time around the famed pyramid and the Tuileries gardens right across the museum.

The pyramids and the ancient architecture around it was in itself a sight to wonder at!

The kiddo was pleased to be let out of his stroller and ran all around :)

A long shot of the Louvre museum exterior

By the side of a lovely pond in the lush green Tuileries Gardens

After a good rest and a relaxed walk across the Tuleries gardens, we headed to the iconic 'Arc De Triomphe'. Initially it appeared to be just at the end of the road and so we started to walk. But it turned out to be a long, long walk and we stopped once for a snack, bio break and even a nap for the kid at a small park.  Post that, we started walking again and after another 10 minutes, gave up the thought of going near it. We took a good look from where we stood and turned around to head towards the Eiffel tower - our last stop in Paris.

That place from where Arc the Triomphe looked nearby and reachable by foot!

We circled back to the Seine river again and started walking towards the Eiffel tower. We saw some very beautiful sights on the way and also stopped en route for a nice snack on a restaurant aboard a cruise boat and at a park for Kiddo's play break.

Here are some of the lovely sights we encountered along the way :

A little play place on the banks of the Seine River

Our last destination for the day totally served as a highlight to the trip. It was a wonderful experience to see a panorama of the city from so high up the Eiffel tower and a total treat to see it lit up in the night.

Panorama of the city from atop the Eiffel tower

The Eiffel tower lit up in the night

With that came the end of our Paris stay! We got a little lost on the way back to our place of stay and panicked that it was getting late, as we had an early train to catch to Switzerland the next morning. I got hungry and cranky and as we finally reached near our place of stay and had dinner at a pizzeria, I gave a good earful to the husband for insisting to stay to see the lights at Eiffel tower! (But the lights were sure worth seeing :))

We finally reached the apartment, put the kid to sleep and hurriedly packed everything. We slept late, got up early, cooked and packed food for the train journey, woke up and dressed the little one and got into the cab while it was still dark outside. (We were still 15 minutes late). After a nerve racking ride with eyes on the clock, we somehow reached the train station, found the right platform, lugged everything and settled in our seats! Whew! My heart races even as I recollect and type it all :)

But the amazingly picturesque train journey towards the dream land called Switzerland was worth it all!