I saw the French president today, completely by accident. I was walking past the Palais de Chaillot and saw a big crowd milling around a door, so I figured someone important was coming out. Turned out I was right.
Started the day at the Eiffel Tower, as was required by my being a tourist. Climbed a honkload of stairs to the first and second floors. It's bloody huge, even bigger than I had imagined. Great fun playing spot-the-monument when looking at the Paris skyline. The Eiffel Tower is BIG, y'all. What else is there to say?
Crossed the Seine, saw the president, walked to the Arc de Triomphe, in the middle of the world's biggest roundabout, which means lots of traffic. The Arc is also huge (surprise!) and has a lot of memorial bits and bobs - most interestingly, a plaque commemorating the return of Alsace and Lorraine to France, and the tomb of the unknown soldier.
Next, strolled down the Champs Elysees. Lots of glamourous shops, none of which I bothered to enter. Ended up on the Place de la Concorde, which, despite the very cool Egyptian Obelisk and ferris wheel, is mostly concrete and traffic, hence, not all that pretty.
Wandered to the Musée d’Orsay, but it's closed on Mondays. Instead, went to the Natural History Museum, but it cost 8 euros for just one hall, and there was only one hour left anyway, so I declined and ended the sightseeing there.
Paris has lots of well-groomed dogs, scooters and nice haircuts. Paris has no kombinis or ice coffees - this is une vraie tragedie!
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