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Day 2 – Tour de Europe
On our second day we checked out of the hotel and went with our bus to the city centre.
We had free time until 06:00 PM.
Today was museum day for us. First we went to Les Invalides.
musee_de_larme
It is a complex of buildings containing museums and monuments,
all relating to the military history of France.
There is also a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans.
In this building you can find the Musée de l’Armée – the military museum , the Musée des Plans-Reliefs – museum of military models
and the Musée d’Histoire Contemporaine – museum of Contemporary History.
The Dôme des Invalides is a large former church in the centre of the
Les Invalides complex with the burial site for some of France’s war heroes, most famous is Napoleon Bonaparte.
When you enter the Dome you can see the Napoleon’s tomb from the balcony that looks at the tomb.
Napoleon’s tomb
There is a story that they made it like that because everybody should take a bow to Napoleon.
And you need to lean a little bit to see the Tomb so it’s like you take a bow to it.
Invalides are huge, so it is best to have enough time for visit if you want to thoroughly see it.
We were there for three hours and we manage to see most of it.
the Musée des Plans-Reliefs
After we went to the Museum Rodin.
I have to say it is one of my favorites. There you can see the Hotel Biron where are 300 Rodin’s works.
Some paintings by Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh are also presented.
Monet
The best thing is Sculpture Garden. You can enjoy the sculptures, sit a little on the bench, relax.
The gardens contain many of the famous sculptures in natural settings.
Thinker Rodin
Behind the museum building is a small lake and casual restaurant.
The Musée Rodin contains most of Rodin’s significant creations,
including The Thinker, The Kiss and The Gates of Hell.
Gate of Hell by Rodin
After our relaxing visit to this museum we had our last destination for today and it was the Musee d’Orsay.
The museum building was originally a railway station, Gare d’Orsay. The Museum was opened in 1986.
Here is mainly French art – paintings, sculptures, photography.
It has the largest collection of impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world, from painters like Monet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne and Van Gogh.
Museum d’Orsay
After a whole day of walking through museums we were a little hungry.
So we went to have a sandwich with a fresh baguette and we headed for the bus, because we are going with the ferry to the UK.
Tour de Europe
Last year we took a little tour with the student agency. Although we aren’t students we could go with them on the tour. It was very cheap so we took the opportunity.
It was the Bus tour so we spended a lot of time in the bus, even at nights we were on the road – but that was why it was cheap. I am always for travelling and adventures so it wasn’t so bad.
Our bus was double decker, so my husband wanted to sit up in the first row. ( so did everybody else)
We manage to get the seat and the bad thing about that seat is that there is no space for legs, but the good thing is that the view is magnificent. Especially when you drive through UK and Scotland.
Tour plan was: Paris, London, Edinburgh & Glasgow and Amsterdam.
It was a 10 day tour. Our first stop was Paris. After all night in the bus we left our luggage in the hotel, took a shower and went to the city. Near our hotel was RER station, so we bought the tickets and went on the train.
It was my second time in Paris so I decided not to go with the group , but to make our own plan.
We went to few places we didn’t manage to see the first time we were there.
One of this places was Montmartre Cemetery.
As you can guess by the name, the cemetery is in Montmartre , in 18th arrondissement , about 15 minutes walk from the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur.
It is very beautiful cemetery, with great tombstones and monuments. I could walk for hours there.
After we took the metro and went to the Orsay museum. It was too late to go in so we went for a walk through Champs Elysees to the Arc the Triomphe.
First time we were in Paris we just saw the Arc, but this time we went up. And the view from the Arc is really great.
One thing that Paris can boast with is that they really have a lot of places with great views.
Arc the Triomphe is one of the most famous monuments in Paris.
The Arc de Triomphe is monument for those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars, it has the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces.
There is also a tomb of unknown soldier from WW1.
Disneyland Paris
Our last day in France was reserved for Disneyland Paris.
Although we could stay in Paris that day, we have chosen to go to Disneyland.
Well, it is Disneyland and I just love amusement parks. (more…)
Louvre
I would say that Louvre is the most famous museum in the world
and has the painting that is also the most famous in the world.
Mona Lisa. (more…)
Versailles
Versailles is a City near Paris. It is most famous for its Castle and the gardens of Versailles.
Versailles was the capital of kingdom of France for over a century until the French revolution. (more…)
Père Lachaise
This could sound a little weird, but i really like cemeteries.
I look at the Cemetery as a park where you can take a walk through the history.
I live in a city in Croatia that has one of the most beautiful Cemetery in Europe. (more…)
Eiffel
This day was reserved for Eiffel Tower. After having a breakfast in a hotel (some fine French cheese), we got on the bus and headed to the tower.
Our first stop was Trocadero. (more…)
Paris, Paris
After spending forenoon in Reims it was time to go to Paris.
When we entered the city I was like whooow!
The City is huge! Everything in Paris is so big, big streets, big buildings, big monuments.
First thing that got on my mind was, OK I’m going to get lost here! (more…)
