We saved the biggest day until the end. After a run through Luxembourg Gardens, we walked over to the Impressionist Orangerie Museum.
You know you are in Paris when there is a tutu shop across the street from your hotel
The Orangerie Museum, starring Monet's giant water lilies
From the Orangerie we walked to the Eiffel Tower, sneaking a picnic at Starbucks along the way.
Don't be fooled. These aren't our cups and plate :P
My cheesy European vacation photo by the Eiffel Tower
Seeing the Eiffel Tower up close was like looking a metal monstrosity in the eye. I figured being in Paris we aught to climb the stupid thing, but half-way through the hour-long wait in the frigid cold wind made me want to leave even more. The sun set so early that even though we arrived by 3:30pm we were able to see the tower light up then sparkle during a 5min light display. That, at least, was worth the effort.
The line
After spending much of the day with the tower, we took the bus to Pompidou Center to soak up the last piece of our art tour puzzle: modern art. Up until then we had been hitting the museums in chronological order, starting with the Louvre, which deals with older forms of art.
The Hotel de Ville, the most Christmassy place on earth
We were both pretty wiped out and hungry and couldn't quite give the Pompidou Center the attention it deserved, so by 9pm we took off for dinner in the Latin Quarter. We were not so lucky with our last supper in Paris. We called the bluff of a smooth-talking host who said he could give us a special deal, and when we went inside the waiter didn't want to honor what the host promised. We eventually got what we came in for, along with extremely slow service over three courses. It wasn't until 11:30pm that we left the restaurant, then we still had to walk back to the hotel to pack. At least we had some fancy wine that needed to be finished waiting for us back in our room :P
Seth, half asleep as he tries to eat his meat thing
After checking out of the hotel the final morning, I wanted to make sure to arrive at the airport with lots of time. You can never be too 'safe' with budget airlines, so in my paranoia we arrived super early.
Paris Beauvais prides itself on being the cheap airport. I think the terminal is made of tin foil.
...so cheap, in fact, that they only open security just before each scheduled flight.
We were pretty early: it's just me and the cleaning lady.
Fooling around with the little stage at the Conciergerie (the old prison)
Versailles
The Queen's Bedroom, decorated for Marie-Antoinette
An ultra sporty McCafe, this one with zebra print
The spiral stairs in the Arc de Triomphe
I love Michelangelo's Slaves at the Louvre
For Christmas Eve dinner, coq au vin and salmon
The waiter and some woman he took a picture with...
Another look at Sainte-Chapelle's walls of stained glass
From the Eiffel Tower
