Arc De Triomphe

I mentioned in a previous post my absolute favourite view of Paris. Well, this is it. The view from atop the Arc de Triomphe was, in my opinion, vastly better than that found at the top of La Tour Eiffel. I mean, just have a look at it! Directly below is my favourite. It doesn't get much prettier than a quickly setting sun atop a giant arch in the middle of the busiest round-a-bout in Paris. 


Now, most of you probably already know this, but I thought it best to voice it again. DO NOT TRY AND CROSS THE ROUND-A-BOUT. Seriously, don't. It will probably hurt. A lot. There is this nifty underground tunnel to the arch, right near the end of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Sounds obvious, but my mother didn't know that and was fretting about those people at the arch who had invariably crossed (but nothing against you Mum, I was the same till I read a guidebook). It really is worth the crossing though in order to get this view. 


After wandering around the base of the arch for a while (and picking up Madeline in French!) Mel and I headed up the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. My goodness, was this a magical street. The whole street was lit up with Christmas lights, making it sparkle in the evening. Eventually we made it to a Christmas market, where we bought some lavender, chocolate and cheese. Pretty much the perfect end to my second day in Paris (though I may not have been saying that by the time we made it back to the hotel!).