Walking Around Paris, France At My Own Pace
3 years ago, I went to Paris with a Bus full of 50 Young Party-centric tourists, on a mad-dash through Europe, to see 14 cities, in only 30 days!! This meant Paris was relegated to 1 day of Eiffel Tower, view the city through the windows of the bus, and get out.
Needless to say, this wasn't a great experience to actually see or experience any of Europe, or Paris for that matter.
So this time around, after living in Kyiv, Ukraine for 2.5 months, It was time to pay a little visit to Paris, and see, feel and experience everything at my own pace.
Walking The Streets of Paris
Upon arriving in Paris from Kyiv, I took a quick breather of 1 hour, then began my 20km walk around Paris on day 1.
Upon arriving to Paris, I took a quick break and began exploring Paris right away!
Gare Du Nord, the metro station where the trains run to, and where my Hotel was located
Gare Du Nord Train station
A large collective of African immigrants was something of a novelty to see in Paris
25 Hours Hotel in Paris
A Lexus as a Taxi in Paris
The relatively more expensive taxi cars, as opposed to Kyiv (where I just came from, which have very inexpensive models of cars)
Police patrol the streets of Paris, to prevent any further terrorist attacks
A man cooks corn, and popcorn on the streets of Paris
Walking around the streets of Paris
An armored Police officer in Paris patrols the streets
Riding a scooter in Paris is much more feasible, than in Kyiv or Toronto
A man listens to music while sitting on a bench in Paris
A religious man (unknown religion) looks at me, as I attempt to take a telephoto of him
Exploring the characteristic Parisian streets
A corner building featuring 7 floors in Paris
I decided to step into this Artisan Boulanger Parissier, to see what they were baking
The delicious foods prepared in french bakeries – eventually carried over to the rest of Europe through cultural expansion (as far as Russia even)
The delicious foods prepared in french bakeries – eventually carried over to the rest of Europe through cultural expansion (as far as Russia even)
The narrow, 18th century high-rise buildings overshadow the streets of Paris in the evening
A narrow street faces towards something of interest in Paris
Parisians sit on the sidewalks and have a casual drink in the evening
Porte Saint-Denis in Paris, built in 1675.
The beautiful architecture of Paris, features some really stunning rooftops
A man performs routine maintenance in Paris
Aux Fruits D'or convenience shop in Paris
Crossing the streets of Paris
An interesting Thai restaurant in Paris. France and Thailand have an interesting history together.
Bike sharing, as well as electric scooter sharing in Paris is massively popular!
A castle-like tower points into the sky, through the narrow streets of Paris
Under the Châtelet – Les Halles. A beautiful piece of innovation
A Lego Notre-Dame
Under the Châtelet – Les Halles
The gothic Église Saint-Eustache (church)
The gothic Église Saint-Eustache (church)
The narrow streets of Paris were not built for the cars of today, but they have been accommodated to fit properly
Crossing the Pont Neuf, opened in 1607
Leonidas posing in the sunset of Paris
The sunset touches down over the horizon of Paris (I completely didnt realize that I was shooting JPEG instead of RAW)
Tourist boats travel along the Seine during Sunset
A boat of tourists sailing down the Seine
Statue of Henry the 4th along the Pont Neuf
Parisians sit and enjoy the sunset
The Institut de France
The Institut de France, headquarters of the 5 French intellectual academies
The beautiful Parisian architecture in the background of the Pont Neuf
l'École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts (National School of Fine Arts)
Facing the Montparnasse Tower in Paris
A building that was previously a church?
The lighting on the streets of Paris at Dusk
A convenience store in Paris at night
Statue de Pasteur, famed Artist in the 19th century Paris
The Esplanade Jacques Chaban-Delmas facing the Musée de l'Armée
The Musée de l'Armée (I didn't have enough time to visit this place, unfortunately)
Directions for popular destinations in Paris
Statues at the Place du Trocadero
Statues at the Place du Trocadero
The Next Day in Paris
After a long walk through the streets of Paris the night before, it was time to do it all over again the following day.
Despite being a city of extreme wealth and luxury, Paris still faces problems that have been difficult to solve for centuries.
The beautiful walkways in between buildings in Paris
A view of Paris at noon, from the Sacré-Cœur
An onslaught of tourists visit Paris every single day, without end – A view of Paris at noon, from the Sacré-Cœur
Entertainers play music in Montmarte
Oil on canvas paintings for sale in Montmarte
Oil on canvas paintings for sale in Montmarte
A cafe in the artsy district of Paris
A mausoleum along the streets of Paris
An interesting Windmill restaurant in Paris
The Simpsons as art on the walls of Paris
The “I Love You” Wall in Montmarte
Entering the Red Light District in Paris (Boulevard De Clichy)
Souvenirs for Sale in the Red Light District in Paris (Boulevard De Clichy)
Dozens of shops sell sex-related content in the red light district of Paris (Boulevard De Clichy)
The World-Famous Moulin Rouge
A statue in the center of Boulevard de Clichy
Stalingrad station? (Stalingrad is a historical city in Russia that was invaded by Nazi Germany in WW2)
A single metro station in Paris
Preparing food at Five Guys burger restaurant in Paris
An old school Porche on the streets of Paris
The Arc De Triomphe (Arc of Triumph)
Built in 1806 to commemorate the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. The Russian Imperial Army, as well as Hitler's army both marched their armies through these arches.
Leonidas standing in front of Arc Du Triuomphe
The absolutely stunning sculptures on the Arc Du Triomphe
The absolutely stunning sculptures on the Arc Du Triomphe
The absolutely stunning sculptures on the Arc Du Triomphe
The absolutely stunning sculptures on the Arc Du Triomphe
The absolutely stunning sculptures on the Arc Du Triomphe
The absolutely stunning sculptures on the Arc Du Triomphe
Continuing Through The Streets of Paris
Along the way, there were fancy cars, beautiful sights, and interesting events that took place.
A Bugatti Veyron on the streets of Paris
The Palais de Tokyo dedicated to Modern and Contemporary Art
A guitar circle forms for middle aged Parisians
Iranian awareness march in Paris
A couple gets married in Paris, a very expensive endeavor
The Jardins Du Trocadero on a hot sunny day
Waiting for the next bus outside the Musée de l'Armée
The High-tech buildings around Gare de La Défense
Military patrol around Gare de La Défense
A panorama of Gare de La Défense
Leonidas looking cool at Gare de La Défense
Cafes Around Paris
Parisians and tourists alike, enjoy sitting outside Cafes and restaurants, and people-watching. While I don't particularly recommend this activity, because of car pollution, and general street noise, it's very much a cultural thing.
Les Volcans (the volcanoes) Cafe in Paris
Le Magnum Bar & Restaurant in Paris
Ma Cave Fleury cafe and bar
A large conglomeration sits outside a bar, restaurant in Paris
Le Bonaparte Restaurant
Les Deux Magots Restaurant (The Two Magots?)
Cafe Des Officiers (Officers Cafe) in Paris at night
A waiter serves food at a cafe in Montmarte
Religion, Churches & Christianity in Paris
Like any good Christian European nation, Paris features an abundance of lavish, intricate, luxurious, and wonderfully built relics to Christianity.
The first church that I came across while venturing through the streets of Paris. Saint-Eugène Sainte-Cécile Church
A plane flies high above Paris and Saint-Eugène Sainte-Cécile Church
Inside, Parisians pray to their god inside Saint-Eugène Sainte-Cécile Church
Parisian churches are considered of “Gothic” design. Inside Saint-Eugène Sainte-Cécile Church
The ultra-gothic rooftops of another church in Paris
Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
The Sacré-Cœur, completed in 1914
Bronze statues adorn the entrances to the Sacré-Cœur
A statue of Jesus at the Sacré-Cœur
Inside the Sacré-Cœur
A friar holds a baby inside the Sacré-Cœur
A glass mosaic inside the Sacré-Cœur
Worshippers at the feet of the virgin? inside the Sacré-Cœur
The large towers that surround the Sacré-Cœur
Paroisse Saint Jean de Montmartre church
Around the Louvre Museum
The Louvre is the world largest art museum, encompassing more art that one can possible ever remember. I took photos of art that appeals to me. Mainly classical art that depicts life in the past, or anything else that is interesting (I don't know the names of any of the painters or paintings).
Walking towards the Louvre
Entering the Louvre
The beautiful statues that adorn the walls of the Louvre
A Ferris wheel sits just in front of the Louvre
View of the City of Luxemburg from the baths of Mansfeld (taken on 3 June 1684) by Adam Frans van der Meulen
The city and the harbor of Toulon by Joseph Vernet
Le Pont du Gard, painted by Hubert Robert for King Louis XVI in 1786
Ancient roman architecture
Hubert Robert – The Arc de Triomphe and the Theatre of Orange
Interior of the Temple of Diana at Nimes – Hubert Robert (1783)
Entrance Of The Port Of Marseille by Claude-Joseph Vernet
Demolition of the Houses on the Pont Notre-Dame in 1786 – Hubert Robert
View of Avignon, from the right bank of the Rhône, near Villeneuve by Claude-Joseph Vernet, 1757
The Bridge and the Castel Sant'Angelo by Claude-Joseph Vernet
Le lion de Florence – The lion of Floren by Nicolas Andre Monsiau, 1801
Beach at low tide (Plage à marée basse) by Eugène Isabey
The burial of Titian during the plague in Venice 1576 by Alexandre Jean-Baptiste Hesse
Meeting Between Cambyses II and Psammetichus III by Adrien Guignet
Looking out the window of the Louvre, from the 3rd floor
I couldn't find the name of this painting
The Entrance to the Grand Canal, Venice by Canaletto, 1730
The Rialto bridge seen from the North by Bernardo bellotto (1730s)
The Pandemonium by John Martin (1841)
Plan of the Chartreuse of Paris by painter Eustache Le Sueur (1650's)
Plan of the Chartreuse of Paris by painter Eustache Le Sueur (1650's)
Views of Modern Rome by Giovanni Paolo Panini
Views of Modern Rome by Giovanni Paolo Panini
Age of the Grand Tour by painters Anthony Burgess and Francis Haskell
Napoleons Dining room when he became the Ruler of France
A painting by Wilhelm Steuerwaldt (1815-1871)
Seaport at Sunset by Claude Lorrain
The Village Festival by Claude Lorrain (1639)
David crowned king by the prophet Samuel – Claude Lorrain (1625-1650)
Leonidas posing with the Louvre
Rooftop View of Paris
For most of history, humans didn't have a birds-eye view of their surroundings, but that all changed within the last 150 years (with the invention of hot air balloons). Now you can simply stand on a tall building, and see humans, who looks like ants, run around the giant cement jungle that we built.
A view of Paris from the Grande Arche de la Defense, facing the Arc Du Triomphe
Paris atop the Grande Arche de la Defense
Paris atop the Grande Arche de la Defense
Montparnasse Cemetery (Cimetière du Montparnasse) from atop Montparnasse tower
Paris atop Montparnasse Tower
Paris atop Montparnasse Tower
Musée de l'Armée from Atop Montparnasse
The train station that goes towards Versaille from Atop Montparnasse
The train station that goes towards Versaille from atop Montparnasse
Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris
A birds-eye view of the Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris
The Gardens of Luxembourg (Le Jardin du Luxembourg)
City view of Paris at Sunset
City view of Paris at Night
Eiffel Tower Photo Madness
Paris is most well known for its Eiffel Tower, completed in 1889, and to this day, the most popular tourist destination in the world!
The Grand Eiffel Tower!
Walking along the Seine river, towards the Eiffel Tower
Leonidas Posing with the Eiffel Tower
Almost under the Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower from Atop Montparnasse
The Eiffel Tower at Dusk
Parisians relax on the Champs De Mars gardens facing the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel tower trinkets for Sale
The Eiffel Tower at Night
Versailles Palace
One thing I never managed to see 3 years ago was Versailles. This time around, I made it my mission to check it out, especially on my last day. It was definitely a full-day expedition to get there.
The train stops towards Versailles
The final stop to Versailles Chantiers
The palace-like buildings as you walk towards Versailles palace
City Hall of Versailles (Mairie de Versailles)
Walking towards the gates of Versailles, King Louis the 14th sits atop a bronze horse
Angelic statues at Versailles
Typical Roman-Greco statues adorn Versailles Palace
The line-up to enter Versailles is 1km long
Security keep watch at Versailles
The golden gates to Versailles
A restoration project takes place on the rooftops of Versailles
The front courtyard of Versailles
Versailles in the 18th century
The front gates to Versailles, circa 17th to 18th century
The rear gardens and courtyard of Versailles, 17-18th century
The beautiful interiors of Versailles
The beautiful interiors of Versailles
Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Josephine by Jacques Louis David (1805-07)
The Distribution of the Eagle Standards (1810) by Jacques-Louis David
Napoleon conquers the Algerians? Not sure
The french revolution
A tiny portion of the gardens of Versailles
A statue of the Greek God Neptune
The enormous gardens of Versailles
The residence of Royal families in Versailles
The residence of Royal families in Versailles
The Grande Canal of Versailles
The Grande Canal of Versailles
The Grande Canal of Versailles
The Grande Canal of Versailles
Versailles in the background
A mother rows the boat for her husband and child in the Grand Canals of Versailles
Conclusion for Paris, France
Did I enjoy Paris?
Most definitely! For 4 days of constant novelty, as well as the ability to go at my own pace (very fast, while absorbing lots of history), I definitely enjoyed it.
If I decide to return sometime in the future, I will most definitely check out the tomb of Napoleon.
One thing I most definitely recommend is to visit the Montparnasse tower, you will get a MUCH better view of Paris, without the enormous wait times of the Eiffel tower.