As I sit here thinking about what you would want to know about the Arc de Triomphe I am reminded that it is a symbol of national patriotism for the French and tomorrow is July 4th in the States (as they say here). To all my readers have a very happy 4th of July and please take a moment to reflect on all that has made our country great. Let's hope our leaders and those that hope to be can also reflect on what the United States of America stands for and what it means to be an American. As for the French they are very proud of their country as we are of ours and the history here both good and bad is what makes this city so great. Today I was reminded as I saw a statue of Winston Churchhill and Thomas Jefferson that countries can work together for a better world. There is even a Franklin D. Roosevelt Avenue here. Let's hope our country can continue to make the rest of the world proud. I think that is the lesson for today.
So today I climbed the 284 step spiral staircase up to the 50 meter high viewing platform where I was rewarded with a wonderful view of the city. Please feel free to try and calculate how many steps are in a meter!! Even though it was cloudy and started to sprinkle the view was still spectacular of the 12 avenues which all fan out from the rotary around the Arc. A rotary with no lanes and no arrows. You will be happy to know there is a tunnel from the sidewalk which goes underground so I did not have to play "Frogger" to get the the Arc. The tomb of the unknown soldier with the eternal flame is adorned with flowers. The monument is protected by soldiers and is as breathtaking as the pictures. I continue to take pictures to use with my students to enhance oral vocabulary knowledge and communication skills. It is quite timely that Shutterfly is offering once again 101 free prints. Hope to order when I am done here.
Our tour guide for today was Niamh (pronounced Neve). She is from Ireland but married a Frenchman and lives here now. She has a history and art background and gave us a fabulous walking tour of the Pont Alexandre III (my favorite bridge in Paris) and other historical buildings ending at the Arc. She was very informative and answered all of our questions. I had never heard history of World War II told from another country's perspective and I was quite touched as she spoke of the take over of Paris by Germany. She also took us down Avenue des Champs-Elysees ! (The famous shopping street.)
