Paris from the Top of the Arc de Triomphe

I was in Paris for less than 24 hours. Not wanting to be too ambitious, I rattled off the top of my head all the tourist places I could think of, and the Arc de Triomphe was one of them.

Completed in 1836, the arch was initially ordered to be built by Napoleon, who wanted to honor the French Army and its victories.

It wasn't until I walked around that I found out that you could actually go to the top of the tower!

This was the price for two adults.

You can take an elevator to the top, but it was broken when I visited. The trick to climbing the stairs is to empty your mind and simply trudge on.

The views of Paris that you can see from the top are very much worth it, though. The arch in the background of this photo mirrors the Arc de Triomphe and is a symbol of La Défense, Paris' business district.

There is also of course the Eiffel Tower, which looms over everything else in Paris.

Zooming in on rooftop spaces that made me envious. I did the same thing at the Coit Tower in San Francisco.

This one is practically a forest!

Les Invalides, a collection of buildings and museums devoted to France's military history. The golden-domed chapel of Saint-Louis-des-Invalides was built in 1679.

The Basilica of the Sacré Cœur, one of the icons of the Montmarte area.

The Louvre, which lets you know how massive it is.

 

There are four sculptures on the pillars. This one is Le Triomphe de 1810, which features Napoleon being crowned by the goddess of Victory.

The names of the military leaders of the French Revolution and Empire are engraved here. 

The day before I visited, President Obama had visited along with Queen Elizabeth for the 70th French-American Commemoration D-Day Ceremony at Omaha Beach in Normandy.

Flowers and Insects of the Mediterranean, Part 3

 

All photos taken in southeast France. If you know the names of any, please write it in the comments section!

Bituminaria bituminosa, the Arabian pea or pitch trefoil.

Close-ups taken with Easy-Macro.

Tiny grasshopper on a dandelion.

Capparis spinosa, the caper bush, also called Flinders rose.

Acacia.

Flowers and Insects of the Mediterranean, Part 2

 

All photos taken in southeast France. If you know the names of any, please write it in the comments section!

 

 

Cicuta virosa (Cowbane or Northern Water Hemlock) 

 

Close-ups taken with Easy-Macro.

 

Aizoaceae, a succulent plant.

Flowers and Insects of the Mediterranean, Part 1

Apologies in advance, the following three posts will be largely wordless because I couldn't figure out the names of the flowers! Any answers would be appreciated.

 

All photos taken in southeast France.

There was a flower coming out through the center of another flower.

 

All close-ups taken with Easy-Macro.  

 

Huge grasshopper-like things.

Stick bug!

Bormes-les-Mimosas

 

The town center of Bormes-les-Mimosas, a small region in southeast France, near the Mediterranean coast.

 

To be fair, I only walked around the circular space seen in the first photo. Apparently, if you go higher up, you can see an older part of the town, and it is charming.

 

The florist's that must dominate local business.

Just as uncomfortable as the collection of black artists used as decoration at Karakan, the Japanese karaoke chain.

Swallows making their home.

This isn't exactly the same area, but around the roundabout that leads to the Cap Bénat are a couple of pizza stands with wood-burning ovens. They are simple and delicious, with a lot of Provence herbs thrown on.

This one has a beach chick out front.

In front of the large local Carrefour (a French supermarket chain), which has a substantial section of produce from Provence.