Paris - Day 2

As you've probably noticed, I've been a little slower than I had hoped at getting my Paris pictures up, but, finally, here it is - a quick look at our second day of exploring.

Our day started at the Eiffel Tower.

I have to admit that as we set out, I had a bit of a negative attitude about visiting the Eiffel Tower - sort of like my feelings about the Space Needle in Seattle - they are both kind of awkward structures that somewhat ruin an otherwise pleasing sky line. Did my feelings change after seeing it? Yes and no. It's size was definitely more impressive than I had imagined it would be - it is HUGE. I still don't really see what all the hype is about, but, from a photographer's perspective, I will say it was a lot of fun to photograph!

After the Eiffel Tower, we were off to the Arc de Triomphe:

Like many of the buildings and monuments we saw in Paris, I'd heard of it and recognized it but had no idea about its significance. Lucky for me, there was a museum inside explaining its history. What I learned was that it was initially erected to honor those who fought in the Napoleonic Wars (those wars fought in association with Napoleon's French empire), but it has since become a symbol of honor to all French veterans. Beneath the arc, for example, is the memorial Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. After looking around the museum, we continued on to the top of the arc where we got some fantastic views of the city.

Our final stop for the day - the Louvre:

The pictures I took of the grounds just don't do it justice. What an amazing building and courtyard! Highlights from the museum's MASSIVE collection - the Mona Lisa!