Paris - The Arc de Triomphe

On the morning of December 26, we got up very early and headed out for Paris. It was sleeting and the roads were icy so the trip took about six hours to drive. However, we arrived safely around 3:00 p.m. After we checked into the hotel, we ventured out into the city. It was overwhelming! Our first sight to see was the Arc de Triomphe.

The construction of the Arc was ordered in 1806 by Napoléon, the French emperor, to honor the Grande Armée, the then invicible Napoléon's army. After his Austerlitz victory in 1805, Napoléon had said to his soldiers : "You will return home through archs of triumph".

However, the construction was stopped after Napoleon was overthrown in 1814 but was finally completed after his death in 1821. The Arc de Triomphe cost 9.3 millions French francs, a gigantic amount of money for that time.

We decided to go up to the top. They say it is 234steps, but I know this is a misprint. It has to be 2,340 steps! I thought I was about to have a heart attack once about two thirds of the way up. I kept thinking, "And I payed money to do this?" But, once we got to the top, it was worth every step. The view of the city was amazing! Thankfully, going down the Arc was not as exhausting as going up!