Ben and I took the Big Bus Tour on the morning of day 7.

It was the day of the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Paris. When we were on the Big Bus, we learned that we just missed the D Day parade on Champs-Elysees the day before.

The Big Bus Tour was included in the Paris pass we purchased.  It’s a day pass. This hop on hop off tour brings you to most of the major attractions in Paris. Here are some of the scenery from the big bus tour.

The Big Bus Tour is equipped with audio guide.

Notre Dame. (more…)

We returned to the Latin Quarters for dinner as there are plenty of choices.

We had French dinner again. This restaurant offers fixed price menu for Euro16.

For appetizer, I had French Onion Soup. It was very rich with lots of cheese.

Complementary bread basket.

I had so much bread with my soup that I’m almost full just eating the appetizer. (more…)

After exiting Hotel des Invalides, we strolled along Avenue de Breteuil.

It’s a wide boulevard with lots of greens. We then arrived at the Alexander III Bridge.

A column on the left bank of the Alexander III Bridge. At the base of the column is La France de Louis XIV by Laurent Marqueste.

The Alexander III Bridge spans the Seine in Paris. It is the most ornate bridge in Paris. (more…)

One of the must visit place at the Hotel les Invalides is the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The line to the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Statue of Napoleon.

The sarcophagus of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The tomb is made with red quartzite and is resting on a green granite base.

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Les Invalides was on the next itinerary. It is commonly known as Hotel des Invalides. Hotel des Invalides is a complex in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, which houses museums and monuments related to the military history of France. It also serves as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the original purpose of the complex.

The north entrance to Hotel des Invalides.

The Musee de l’Armee is both a museum and a monument.

View of the Eiffel Tower from the lawn of the main courtyard.

The exhibits of the military museum of the Army of France are divided into several sections.  The above are from the ancient armour and arms, XIII, XVIIth century. The ancient collections here is one of the three largest arms museum in the world. It comprises of the Crown Collection, the presentation of arms and amour follows a path organised chronologically – from Saint Louis to Louis XIII, from knights to the standing army. (more…)

We spent some time exploring the neighbourhood of Montmartre. There are a lot of shops selling souvenirs.

We came upon a Tunisien Patisserie. The sweet treats at the store front were way too tempting.

So, we went in for some snacks.

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We started day 6 with the visit to The Basilica of Sacre Coeur, located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, which is the highest point in Paris.

The Basilica of Sacre Coeur simply means The Basilica of the Sacred Heart. It is a Roman Catholic church.

We took the tram up the butte Montmartre.

Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside the basilica.

The above two photos were taken at of the entrance to the Basilica of the Sacre Coeur. (more…)

After a good nap, we went out for dinner in the neighbourhood of Montparnesse.

We settled with a North African cuisine restaurant; Chez Bebert.

It was full house and very buzy. We had a short wait for our table.

The curl at the end of the fork and spoon looks interesting. (more…)

After visiting the Grevin Wax Museum, we intended to go to the Opera Garnier but we just missed the last English guided tour of the day. So, we went to the Galleries Lafayette for lunch.

Galleries Lafayette is an upmarket French department store chain.

The beautiful glass and steel dome.

View of the floors of department stores from a higher floor. (more…)

Our next destination was the Grevin Wax Museum, also included in the Paris Pass, otherwise the entrance price is Euro23.50.

We were greeted by the Hall of Mirrors and a world of light.

The Grevin Theatre.

The Grevin Wax Museum has a collection of 300 wax figures of famous French and foreign celebrities and historical events. The above is Mstislav Rostropovich’s concert near Berlin Wall. (more…)