After waking up bright and early, we had breakfast at the hotel and strolled over to the Place de la Concorde. On our way, we passed the Église de la Madeleine (church we could see from our hotel) as well as some fancy shops with colorful displays. Even one inspired by Mary Poppins!
From the bustling plaza of fountains, we walked through the Jardin des Tuileries until we reached the Louvre. There we meandered through the many tourists and glass pyramids. After posing for the necessary photos we went down to the metro again which took us underground to the opposite end of the Champs Élysées - the Arc de Triomphe!
Above ground we walked all the way around the gigantic archway amidst the chaos of the streets of l’étoile (the star shape that is formed by all of the streets meeting with the monument in the center). Finally, we had time to walk on the famous avenue (Champs Élysées), do some shopping - or snacking - and meet back at the Place de la Concorde. Once we were back at our hotel it was time to pack and get on another plane! To the south!