The lower section of the Champs-Elysees, where we began our walk is peaceful and quiet. We left behind the busy traffic hub that surrounds the Egyptian obelisk and proceeded forward onto a wide footpath, lined with perfectly maintained horse chestnuts. Stretching out on either side of us were were the lush green gardens of the Champs-Elysees, an oasis of fountains, roses, and greenery in the heart of the city.
We noticed that, not only was the street lined with trees, but, along the curb side stretched the metal frames of stadium seating. Row upon row of the metal bars, which seemed so out of place amongst the flora and greenery. We wondered what they were doing there, whether they were being set up, or taken down, when my Mum realized that the Tour De France had been completed just days earlier. People had sat there to cheer on the cyclists as they completed the final stretch of the race. What a sight; and what a place to cross the finish line! I can't imagine anything would spur you on for the final sprint more than doing so on 'the most beautiful avenue in the world'.
As we kept walking, we left the Jardins des Champs-Elysees behind us and found ourselves once again in a busy hub. The gardens were replaced by Baroque-inspired architecture, shouting taxi drivers, and Louis Vuitton toting Tourists. Thankfully, the footpaths are so wide that even though the traffic is in a state of chaos, we were so far away from it that we didn't really seem to notice it. (At least until we had to try and cross the road, at which point we just held on to each other for dear life.)
We walked along, taking in the beautiful buildings, which now house luxury shops and decadent cafe's. We stopped to drool over pastries and multi coloured macaron displays in the window of a particularly lovely looking bakery, and as we continued to walk I noticed a certain familiar aroma in the air. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, not until we'd made it a little further down the boulevard. We noticed a huge queue of people and as we meandered past them we wondered what on earth they were waiting for. Should we join the end of the line? Surely, it must be something truly amazing if this many people are waiting for it. Looking on curiously I noticed that the front of the line disappeared behind grand golden gates, but whatever the final destination, it couldn't be seen from the street.
The gates were manned by security guards, which really peaked my curiosity. And then I noticed it; the security guards we oddly preppy with their blue and white stripy shirts and long line cardigans. It dawned on me that they weren't standing guard, they were standing...posing. The letters A and F emblazoned on the golden gates that framed them. That smell- it smelled like Abercrombie and Fitch! I couldn't believe it; all of Paris to see and here everyone is waiting to get into a clothes shop! I think my heart broke just a little. We pressed forward, shaking our heads as we went. A woman asked me what was going on, and I tried to explain to her in my broken French that it was just a clothes shop, and she looked at me, incredulous. I wasn't sure if she was as stunned as I was, or if she had no idea what I'd actually tried to tell her. All I could say was, 'I know.'
In what seemed like no time, we reached the western most end of the avenue. Taking our lives in our hands one final time, we crossed the road, and found ourselves at the foot of the greatest triumphal arch in the world. The arc du triomphe, in all of its 161 ft glory.
By this point, Charlotte had woken from her nap, chirpy and well rested, which meant that the three of us could climb to the top of the Arch together to see Paris in panorama. The upside of having the push chair with us? When I say 'climb', I really mean board a lift, press a button and arrive in the 'attic' of the arch a few seconds later, leaving us with a mere 46 steps to climb (46 narrow, precarious steps) before we emerged into the open air, with the whole of Paris at our feet.
The Arc du Triomphe stands in the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, which is essentially an enormous road junction; The Arch stands at the point where twelve straight avenues intersect. From our position atop the arch, we were at the centre of the city, and the streets were spokes that radiated out from that point, forming an immense star; It was really spectacular to see. We picked out distant city hot spots, and Charlotte shrieked at the wind, and lights, and noise, while Asian tourists took her picture and ooohed and aaahed over her hair. After taking in the view from all sides of the platform, we descended to street level and took our time admiring the sculptures that cover the monument- Reliefs depicting battles and triumphs. Engraved lists of victories, names of leaders, and names of the dead. From every angle, the arch honors those who have fought and died for France; it is an incredible tribute to them.
As the afternoon turned into the evening, we braved the metro once again for one more stop before heading back to our hotel. A stop at one of the world's most recognizable structures; the wrought iron giant we had seen in the distance from above the Arc du Triomphe. This time when I saw the Eiffel Tower I was determined to remember more about it than the key rings for sale nearby.
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