On a cloudy Wednesday, we took the Métro to the western end of the Champs-Élysées, which is the long avenue that runs from the Place de la Concorde (located near the Jardins des Tuileries/Louvre) to the Place de l'Étoile, where the Arc de Triomphe proudly stands as anchor to 12 incoming streets. The old saying is that all roads lead to Rome, but in Paris, all roads seem destined for this spot, possibly the world's biggest roundabout. (Even with the unofficial title of "Roundabout City USA," Carmel, Indiana has nothing on the coordinated chaos of this circle.)
The 19th-century monument memorializes those who fought valiantly for France in a number of wars, many of whom are honored in lists of names engraved in various spots underneath the arch or on its pillars. On the ground level—which you reach by taking an underground walkway below the circle of traffic—there's also the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I, kept company by a flame. In such a sacred spot, I noticed the shuffling of visitors' foot traffic and honking of taxis—just yards away—subconsciously faded to a murmur as I paid respect to those who fought for freedom.
Admission to climb to the top of the arch is only 8 euros per adult (free for anyone 17 or younger), if you're up to the challenge. The stairs are a bit steep and physically tiring—especially if, like me, you have an unwieldy Nikon D300 single-lens reflex digital camera hanging from your neck and bouncing with every step. But, if you haven't guessed yet, I'll do (almost) anything to get a good shot, and the view didn't disappoint.
Admission to climb to the top of the arch is only 8 euros per adult (free for anyone 17 or younger), if you're up to the challenge. The stairs are a bit steep and physically tiring—especially if, like me, you have an unwieldy Nikon D300 single-lens reflex digital camera hanging from your neck and bouncing with every step. But, if you haven't guessed yet, I'll do (almost) anything to get a good shot, and the view didn't disappoint.