Monday: June 9
Once Jean-Jacques Legalle, our guide, gathered our group, we boarded a small bus for an entire morning tour of many historic monuments and spots in the heart of Paris.
The first stop on our sight-seeing excursion was Notre Dame.
After the French Revolution, this glorious cathedral was used to store feed and cattle.
Both the exterior and interior feature stone carvings, a flying buttress design, and breathtaking stained glass windows.
Here is an internal view of one of the three remaining rose crystal windows.
This view of the side of the cathedral illustrates some of the intricate carvings.
We also had an opportunity to visit the Eiffel Tower, originally designed to be destroyed after 20 years, but now preserved as a historical landmark (more about this in a minute).
This is a front view of Les Invalides, a hospital for military veterans.
We also passed the Louvres, but did not go inside for an extended visit.
Our intrepid tour bus driver impressed us all with his ability to circumnavigate the traffic circle around the Arc de Triomphe.
After the tour, Ollie and I tackled the Metro, successfully making our way to the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank for lunch. After this, we hiked along the Seine for a return visit to the awe-inspiring Eiffel Tower. Imagine my suprise when Ollie proposed at this spot, a grassy portion of flower garden at the southeast corner of the tower, presenting me with a gorgeous diamond and sapphire engagement ring. We spent the rest of the afternoon in a state of romantic rapture.