Arc de Triomphe

Yes, I’m finally continuing with my photos from Paris!
[Photos from Schlossplatz Germany are here and Paris Day 1 photos are here.]

Friday morning I awoke early and went for a run, iPhone in hand. My goal was to run along Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe and back. If the distance wasn’t too bad and I was feeling okay I thought about continuing to the Louvre, but my feet disagreed. I did make it to the Louvre, both Friday night and Saturday morning, and I’ll get to those photos next.

Fortunately it was about 6:30am when I got there, I couldn’t imagine trying to cross the traffic circle that surrounds the Arc at other times of the day. This photo was taken from the east side, I walked around to the west side then timed it to sprint across the road so I could look up close.

Taken with my iPhone

I had no idea the the French Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is at the base of the Arc de Triomphe! Quite the contrast to the American Tomb of the Unknowns, which is part of Arlington National Cemetery and guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year [DB and I visited there almost 2 years ago.]

Taken with my iPhone

I took a bunch of photos of the detail around the Arc but in the early morning light and just having my iPhone, sadly they didn’t come out well at all and I didn’t make it back there with my DSLR before I left the next day. Before I continued my run I had to get back across the traffic circle! I also wanted another shot of the Arc so I crossed to the center island of Champs Elysees. It took almost 5 minutes of waiting and timing the traffic, but it was worth the effort to get there!

Taken with my iPhone

Postscript: I later learned that there is a pedestrian tunnel under the traffic circle leading to the Arc. I should have figured out that there had to be a better way to get there, it is a tourist destination after all…

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