Paris - Day Quatre

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  I'm still thinking about our trip to Paris and am up to day four.  If you've missed the summaries from the beginning of our trip, you can catch them by clicking on the day ~
                                                  Day 1     |     Day 2     |     Day 3

The night before day four began, we had decided that our first task the following morning would be to purchase two-day tickets for the double decker Paris L'Open Tour Hop On Hop Off bus.  We had walked for miles the day before and wanted to cover more ground on day four than we had on day three, but wasn't quite ready to head below ground and use the Metro to get places faster.  The double decker open bus was the perfect option.

For just under $75, we purchased two two-day tickets for the bus.  With their four bus lines, they make a total of 79 stops at the various sites around Paris.  We knew that even if we didn't want to exit the bus to go to the attractions, we would at least be able to see it.  We loved the bus!  One of the things we loved the most was the commentary you could listen to with the earbuds you were given when you purchased your ticket.  Each seat had a plugin where you selected your language and began hearing the history you were passing by.

We chose to hop off the bus the first time at Notre Dame.  When visiting, make sure to walk all the way around this stoic structure.  As beautiful as the front entrance is, the sides are equally magnificent.

The inside is simply breathtaking.  The statues, fixtures and stain glass will take your breath away.

We grabbed a bite to eat at a little cafe outside Notre Dame and this is where we fell in love with the ham and cheese sandwiches.  Just look at all that cheese!

We had planned for our next stop to be Sainte Chapelle, which is located very near Notre Dame.  We accidentally walked right past the entrance and found ourselves at the Bridge of Locks.  Sometimes being a little lost really pays off!

We did a little backtracking and finally noticed the sign marking Sainte Chapell.  I'm so glad we were persistent in finding this Gothic style masterpiece.  This location was intended to house precious Christian relics, including Christ's crown of thorns, acquired by Saint Louis.  

After you climb a very narrow stone spiral staircase to the second floor, the 15 towering windows appear.  The panes depict 1,113 scenes from the Old and New Testaments recounting the history of the world until the arrival of the relics in Paris.

We popped back on the bus and headed to Arc de Triomphe.  After standing in line for a bit, we worked our way to the single file staircase and ascended the 284 steps to the observation deck.   

The views of Paris from the top were worth the effort it took to get there.

Down the steps and back on the bus we went.  When the bus dropped us off near our hotel, we found an adorable little bakery and enjoyed dinner with dessert.  

With full bellies and a growing love for the city of lights, we went back to our hotel to get ready for our 11:00 pm Moulin Rouge show.  And what a show it was!  The two-hour spectacle was full of energy and laughs.  We purchased our tickets from ParisCityVision and again was able to use our Ebates to get money back from our purchase.  (If you aren't signed up for Ebates, click HERE and get started earning cash back on all kinds of purchases.)

It was such a nice surprise when the waiter delivered our free bottle of champagne to the table thanks to ParisCityVisions!

And that's our wrap of the highlights from our full and fun Day Quatre!  Honestly, some of the things we did were not mentioned or this post would have been WAY too long!  Day Cinq coming soon.

Now it's your turn - what are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!

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