FRANCE

Location - Western Europe; Capital - Paris; Population - 65 million; Currency - Euro MORE FRANCE

Just before I went to the Western Sahara I had a Eurostar weekend in Paris in November 2009.

A 10 Euro note

A bateaux mouche cruises down the river Seine, infront of Ile St-Louis, Paris

Above a café on Ile St-Louis, Paris

From Ile St-Louis look across the Seine towards the Notre Dame Cathedral on neighbouring island Ile de la Cité - Paris

The cathedral was made famous in Victor Hugo's novel 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' - Paris

The 'Cathedral de Notre Dame de Paris' was completed in the 14th century - Paris

Visit the cathedral's website here

A look back at Ile de la Cité from Pont Neuf, which links the island to the mainland - Paris

The Pompidou Centre is a cultural centre - Paris

The Pompidou Centre is distinctive in its design, with pipes and stairs in full view on the outside of the building - Paris

Pompidou Centre's website here

Read what's on at the Pompidou Centre via the monthly calendar at Place Georges Pompidou, Paris

Colourful fountains at Place Igor Stravinsky, Paris

Bercy Village is a cobblestone strip of cafes, restaurants and fancy shops - Paris

Stalls line the banks of the river Seine, Paris

The Hotel des Invalides, built in the 17th century, houses a military museum - Paris

..It's also home to the tomb of former French emperor Napoleon I - Paris

More on Napoleon Bonaparte here

You might have heard of the Eiffel Tower - Paris

Named after its designer Gustave Eiffel, the tower is 324metres tall - Paris

The Eiffel Tower website here

It's possible to walk to the 2nd floor, but a lift is the only way to get to the 3rd floor - Paris

The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 as the entrance to that year's Paris World Fair - Paris

It was blowing a gale when I went up so the nets came in very useful to catch falling debris (not from the tower I hasten to add) - Paris

Looking down from the 1st floor of the Eiffel Tower - Paris

The golden Eglise du Dome in the Hotel des Invalides, as seen through Eiffel Tower ironwork - Paris

Cross the river Seine and head for the fountains at the Trocadero Gardens - Paris

A wet and windswept Place de Varsovie, at the top of the Trocadero Gardens - Paris

5-10 minutes walk from the Trocadero Gardens is another French landmark, the Arc de Triomphe - Paris

Built in 1836, the Arc de Triomphe is a monument to Napoleon's 1805 victory at Austerlitz - Paris

Arc de Triomphe official info here

I did a lot of stair-climbing in Paris - Arc de Triomphe, Paris

And it was well worth it. The sky had cleared and the views were fantastic, providing a distant view of the Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre - Paris

The Arc de Triomphe stands in the world's largest roundabout, the Etoile. And radiating from it is the famous Avenue de Champs-Élysées - Paris

One more look at the Eiffel Tower, this time from the Arc de Triomphe, Paris

Avenue de Champs-Élysées - Paris

Entrance to the Louvre museum is via the glass pyramid - Paris

The Louvre's website here

Amongst many others, the Louvre houses the Venus de Milo and Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa - Paris

The Louvre's glass pyramid, Paris

I love this photo of the Arc du Carrousel through a rain spattered window of the glass pyramid - Paris

The Louvre, Paris

Wandering through Chinatown, around Tolbiac metro - Paris

The world-famous cabaret Moulin Rouge (Red Windmill) lies in the red-light district of Pigalle, Paris

The Moulin Rouge website

Canalside bars at Bassin de la Villette - Paris

A deserted street near Colonel Fabien metro, Paris

The Sacré-Coeur (Sacred Heart) Basilica lies at the top of Montmartre Hill - Paris

The graffiti-laden dome of the Sacré-Coeur - Paris

The views from the Sacré-Coeur's dome are superb - Paris

Spot the Arc de Triomphe in a surprisingly cramped-looking Paris

The Sacré-Coeur was built in 1873 but only consecrated in 1919 - Paris

View from the dome of Sacré-Coeur Basilica, Paris

The centre of the artist quarter of Montmartre is at Place du Tertre - Paris

An artist at work in Place du Tertre, Montmartre - Paris

The cobbled backstreets of Montmartre - Paris

Posters, prints, sketches, paintings and drawings are all for sale in Montmartre - Paris

A Montmartre café, Paris

A cute looking restaurant in Montmartre, Paris

Liberty adorns the column at the centre of the Place de la Bastille, commemorating the Storming of the Bastille prison in 1789 thereby sparking the French Revolution - Paris

Wikipedia entry on the Storming of the Bastille here

The Place de la Bastille column is just visible from Port de l'Arsenal, St Martin's Canal - Paris

A lock separates Port de l'Arsenal from the river Seine beyond - Paris

Well worth doing is a boat trip along St Martin's Canal, which starts/ends with a 2kms underground stretch beneath the Place de la Bastille - Paris

Natural light illuminates St Martin's Canal - Paris

Vegetation grows from gridded holes above St Martin's Canal - Paris

A bridge parts to allow our boat to continue its path along St Martin's Canal - Paris

Canauxrama organises canal (& river) trips

People gather to watch the raising of the canal waters between locks - St Martin's Canal, Paris

Heading north along St Martin's Canal, Paris

Website and content Copyright © 2008-2013 Mark Wilkinson. All rights reserved.

LINKS

http://uk.franceguide.com - French tourist office

www.francemonthly.com

www.eurostar.com - Eurostar train from London to Paris, Brussels and more

www.ratp.info - public transport in Paris

I am not responsible for the content of external websites.