"I love Paris in the Springtime... " a Paris Travel Page by TravellerMel

Armed with a renewed passport with depressingly blank pages, a winning streak at Harrah's casino, and 50,000 frequent flier miles burning a hole in my account, I decided to take a quick trip to one of my favorite cities - PARIS! Only a week - but oh-la-la, what a week! I ask you, is there anything quite like that first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower off in the distance? I think not...

My friend Debbie and her husband Fred have been living in England for a couple of years, so when they heard I was going to be in Paris they decided to meet me there for a few days. We were blessed with wonderful weather and had a GREAT time exploring the city. We visited Napoleon's tomb, climbed the steps to the top of the Sacre Coeur, had cafe in Monmartre, ate dinner at the Eiffel Tower, and went to the show at Moulin Rouge. This photo was taken standing on the marker denoting the very center of Paris - all points in ancient Paris were measured from this spot in front of Notre Dame de Paris.

My last day in Paris, and I had much to see and do. First stop was the Eiffel Tower - I took the elevator to the top for a fantastic view. Next, I walked along the Seine to Pont d'Alma, the tunnel where Princess Diana died. That's where this photo was taken. Jumping on the Metro, I rode North to the Basilique de Saint Denis. My travel tip for this location goes into more detail, but suffice it to say that it was a highlight of my trip. After lunch in a very smoky bar (I thought it had been outlawed?), it was back on the Metro to Pere Lachaise cemetery to pay my respects to Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, and Oscar Wilde, to name just a few. Heading back to the Left Bank, I went inside Saint Sulpice church, where I read all the literature posted by the church listing the inaccuracies stated in "The Da Vinci Code"... A Greek sandwich eaten in front of the Fountain of St. Michael, then a short walk back to my hotel, and my last day in Paris was fini...