Oh my gosh...it's July already?!!
As you may have guessed from the lamppost pic above - today's post will be about the famous Avenue des Champs-Elysees. I actually walked down Avenue des Champs-Elysees twice...and when I was there the second time, I had a really memorable experience...as I caught a glimpse of Her Majesty the Queen and her entourage coming Avenue des Champs-Elysees - after commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landing at the Arc de Triomphe, which is right at he end of Avenue des Champs-Elysees! It was such an unforgettable experience, and for days after that I still couldn't believe I saw the Queen...in person!
Anyway here're some pics of that memorable day - I had just left Pont Alexandre III and was heading to Avenue des Champs-Elysees, when I realised that the roads were all barricaded off. So I asked one of the guards, and he told me that the Queen was to come down Avenue des Champs-Elysees shortly after! So needless to say, I decided to hang around. So many people were waiting for the entourage to come by - and they came from all over the world...
This is probably the first time I see the Avenue des Champs-Elysees completely clear of traffic...
It was all over so quickly - but the whole procession was so impressive...!! The place was heavily guarded, but we were so excited! Even the guards could tell how enthusiastic all of us were :)
The barricades were removed quickly after the procession, and needless to say, people started dashing all over the place...and motorists began to flood the area - like they always did...
Anyway - these couple of pics were taken when the lights turned red. I dashed out to the middle of the road to take these pics...and spotted the French flag hanging from the Arc de Triomphe! So I had to do a few more takes, before I was satisfied. Here are three of my favourite takes...
Oh yes - and there's the Union Jack and the French flag - flying side by side, all the way down the Avenue des Champs-Elysees.
OK that summed up my second visit to Avenue des Champs-Elysees. Absolutely unforgettable!!
As for my first time to Avenue des Champs-Elysees? It was less exhilarating...but enjoyable nevertheless! We were ducking in and out of shops because of the intermittent drizzle, but I managed to get some street views. Ah yes - I should also mention - Avenue des Champs-Elysees is so upbeat! And there were so many high-end boutiques like Chanel, Cartier, and many more! I mostly visited my favourite department stores - and spent quite some time in Gap - my all-time favourite. And of course, I had my lunch here in this area! There were quite a number of cafes around, and the hot chocolate was too delicious to resist!
Ah yes - for the record. The sign "Avenue des Champs-Elysees" on one of the buildings (I think this was on the building opposite the Cartier boutique).
Right at the end of Avenue des Champs-Elysees - the Arc de Triomphe in its full glory, in Place Charles de Gaulle. Exactly what I imagined it to be -it was right in the middle of a roundabout, with roads radiating out from all sides.
Went up close to the Arc de Triomphe after going through an underpass - there was absolutely no way we could cross the roundabout...too much traffic! You'll see later on - I've got some pics of the traffic from above.
And then I had such a wonderful time taking pics of the Arc de Triomphe, as well as the beautiful details. I've got a small metal replica of the Arc de Triomphe sitting in front of me now. The details are just mind-blowing! The Arc de Triomphe was inaugurated in 1836 and was constructed to honour those who sacrificed their lives in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
The "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" - interred in 1920 on Armistice Day, with an eternal flame - lit to commemorate the unnamed soldiers who died in the war.
And the names of all the soldiers who sacrificed themselves during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars - all around the Arc de Triomphe.
The climb up was approximately 400 steps...and very very very winding. Check out the spiral! There were no landings - the climb was just all the way up, going round and round and round. I had to pause for a bit...as I was getting a little giddy. So I decided to take the opportunity to take some pics as mementos. When I looked up...I had such a lovely surprise! Check this out:
So off I went - taking more pics of the staircase until I reached the top, where I took a shot with the camera facing directly downwards.
Walked around the inside of the Arc de Triomphe for a bit, before heading off to the rooftop...
And finally made my way to the rooftop! I was totally impressed by the view! The 400-step climb was so worth it...I had such a great time taking pics of Paris from the Arc de Triomphe! And now I can safely say that I have climbed the Arc de Triomphe all by myself - LIKE A BOSS!
So here we go - I managed to go all around and took pics of Paris from all angles I could think of...check out the roads radiating from the Arc de Triomphe too!
A mixture of old and new - I reckon I spotted the famous Pantheon too! When I next go back to Paris, I'm gonna go take pics of the Pantheon! Oh yes - and I could spot Les Invalides from here.....
Needless to say - the Eiffel Tower was so prominent from the Arc du Triomphe! Speaking of which - I do have a small metal replica of the Eiffel Tower too! Later on that day, I was to CLIMB the Eiffel Tower. Yes - I mean CLIMB. On that day itself - I actually climbed a total of 2,162 steps (up and down the Arc de Triomphe plus up and down the Eiffel Tower). After that I didn't want to climb any more stairs...for the rest of the day...
Ah yes - the never-ending traffic jam on Avenue des Champs-Elysees...check this out! Horns blaring every so often - I could even hear 'em from where I was standing!
Misty view of the Louvre Museum compound, with the Jardin des Tuileries and Concorde Place in front of it...
And who could ever forget the gorgeous Sacre Coeur - which was also prominent from where I was?
And that concludes the Avenue des Champs-Elysees and Arc de Triomphe visit! In the next post, I'm gonna talk more about the epic climb UP the Eiffel Tower! Adrenaline rushes all the way (imagine climbing in the open while being exposed to all the elements - fortunately the weather was great that day albeit some winds)...do stay tuned!