PARIS

This past 4th of July weekend, my family and I took a road trip to Paris to see the sights. This was my third time visiting and my wife’s second; however, it would be my 13-year-old daughter’s first. Before the trip, we planned and reserved tickets for some of the main attractions in the city. We departed Germany on a Friday afternoon and drove through the beautiful countryside. Along the way, we passed Saarbrucken as we entered France. The route took us passed Metz and Reims. Additionally, we drove by several WWI battlefields, including Meuse-Argonne and Verdun. Around 5 pm, we entered the outskirts of Paris, and the traffic reminded us of New York City. We arrived at the La Villa Maillot Hotel, within walking distance of the Arc de Triomphe.

That night we walked to the Trocadero Garden, where you can look across the Eiffel Tower. That night, we ate at Le Wilson restaurant, and we appreciated that they accommodated us with our small dog sitting in its stroller. After dinner, we walked back towards the Arc de Triomphe and prepared for Day 1 of our Parisian adventure.

Day 1: The Louvre Museum

The Louvre Museum is one of the most famous art museums in the world, and it is recommended to reserve tickets ahead of time. First, I paid for a Paris City Pass that covers the admission fee for the major museums and attractions throughout the city. Then, I went to the Louvre Museum website and reserved a spot as a city pass holder. I recommend you check the site often if you are looking for a specific time since it gets filled up quickly. Please note that the first time you sign up for a time slot at the Louvre, it only gives you one ticket. Wait a few minutes after setting up an account, and then you can repeat the process to get more tickets as a group.

The first section my family and I visited was the Greek Antiquities. The area was crowded near the statue of Venus de Milo, an impressive work of art and one I wanted to see up close and in person (I have a miniature replica in my home).

The other statue I wanted to see was that of the Goddess Athena. There were several versions, but the one at the end of the hall was the most spectacular.

The following section was the ancient Egyptians, where we admired the works of art and the various mummies on display. Two things stood out—first, the statues depicting Egyptian gods and Pharaohs. Second, the well-preserved mummy on display is where you can get a sense of the care the ancient Egyptians took in preserving their dead.

Next, we visited the displays for Ancient Mesopotamia. As a veteran of Iraq, I had a personal interest in seeing the relics of the Sumerians and Babylonians. I came across a giant statue of a bull that reminded me of my role in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” play in college, where I played the holy bull and died gloriously.

Afterward, we walked through several wings of artwork and ended up in the hall of the French Monarchs, including the crown of the French King. The hall was long and filled with priceless art and resembled what we saw the next day at Versailles.

A trip to Louvre is incomplete without seeing Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece “The Mona Lisa.” You must stand in a line to see the Mona Lisa up close. My family and I stood in line for about 10 minutes until we were close enough to take photos. We attempted to take a selfie, but it was hard with so many people pressing against us and the French museum staff telling everyone they had to hurry up.

We finished our time visiting the Ancient Roman section of the museum. Among the statues, I took a photo of Emperor Augustus (I have a replica at home).

Finally, before we left, we stopped at the inverted glass pyramid. I told my daughter that the point of the pyramid pointed to the burial site of Mary Magdalene, but unfortunately, she did not understand my reference to Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code.”

My family spent more than six hours in the Louvre, but you could easily spend twice that amount of time and still not see everything.

That night, my wife and I returned to Trocadero Garden, where we waited until the Eifel Tower lit up with sparkling lights. The tower lights up at dusk, turning the sparkling lights on for the first five minutes of each hour until 11:45 pm.

Day 2: Versailles

Versailles was on my wife’s bucket list after she had watched the Netflix Drama. I recommend you visit the Versailles Museum webpage to reserve tickets. You will reserve a specific time block and must give yourself sufficient time for the lines. Access to the famous Versailles Gardens is a separate admission ticket you can book online or purchase onsite.

How does someone describe Versailles? It is an immense palace that is a symbol of King Louis XIV’s tremendous ego.

Speaking of immense egos, I took photos of portraits and a statue of Napoleon Bonaparte. I am looking forward to the major motion picture starring Joaquin Phoenix.

I also took photos of the statue of Cardinal Richelieu and the famous philosopher Rene Descartes famous for his quote, “I think therefore I am.”

The most impressive room inside the palace was the “Hall of Mirrors,” with its long span of mirrors, remarkable artwork, and crystal chandeliers.

My family and I departed the palace and went to the gardens. The views of the gardens were breathtaking. The long straightaway reminded me of the “The Mall” in Washington, D.C. I imagine the idea came from Versailles.

You could walk through different sections of the gardens, including the mazes that made you feel like you were in the “Alice in Wonderland” story. My family walked toward the water and stopped at a small outdoor seating area to enjoy ice cream and refreshments. After a full day, we returned to Paris.

When we returned to Paris, we walked down to the base of the Eiffel Tower. Along the way, we stopped at the bridge leading to the tower, where my wife took the opportunity to have a photographer take excellent pictures of her holding balloons and walking in the center of the roadway. We had intended to go up to the top of the tower, but the lines were long, and we opted to walk around the base and admire the sites.

Day 3: Notre Dame and The Basilica of Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre

On the third day, we walked to the famous Notre Dame. We took a cab to get there but ended up getting out several blocks earlier due to the traffic and walked along the river. We arrived at the church and saw the ongoing renovations due to the 2019 catastrophic fire.

In front of the church, we saw a gentleman sitting at a small desk with a typewriter. We approached the gentleman and inquired about what he was doing, and he responded that he produced poems in French on his typewriter. At that point, I commissioned him to write a poem about love for my wife. He happily typed away, and when finished, he serenaded my wife by reciting the poem in French for her.

After walking around Notre Dame, we stopped for ice cream and walked through the Latin Quarters toward the Pantheon. We arrived at the Pantheon and admired the building’s architecture, and looking from the entrance in the distance was the Eiffel Tower.

Next, we took a taxi to the Sacre-Coeur de Montmartre, another location depicted in Dan Brown’s novel. When my family and I arrived, we purchased a lock, signed our names, and locked it along the railings on the stairs leading up to the church. The view of Paris was spectacular. We walked around the church but decided not to wait in line to enter.

We took a taxi back to our hotel and then walked nearby to a French seafood restaurant called Auberge Dab. We ordered a fantastic tray of seafood consisting of Canadian and Norwegian Lobsters, Prawns, Shrimp, and Crabs, topped off with excellent French Wine and Crème Brule for dessert.

The following day, we made our six-hour drive back to Germany. Paris is a lively city that anyone can enjoy. There is much more to see in Paris, and we hope to return someday.