Arrival in Paris

We arrived in Paris yesterday around 3:00pm via the Euro Star high speed train under the English Channel. We are staying in a very small one bedroom apartment in nice inner city neighborhood. The buildings are about 250 years old and generally have retaurants and small shops on the bottom and apartments on floors above. This morning we went to the top of the highest hill in Paris(via a funicular) to see the Sacre Coeur, which is a huge white basillica. The views of the entire city were amazing. Quite the gathering place complete with live music from guitar players and harp player.
We then went to the Arc de Triomphe which is very impressive. Watching the end of the Tour de France each time Lance won at this historical monument does it absolutley no justice. This monument is gigantic. We then walked the entire length of the Champs-Elysees which is lined with world class stores such as Cartier, Peugeot, Mercedes, Swatch, etc. About 2/3 of the way down is a tall monument(think San Jacinto monument but shorter) that was erected in the location where the guillotine was used on King Louis XIV and Marie-Antoinette and 1200 others lost their heads in 1667. Continuing on, we walked through the Jardines tuileries(king's gardens) to the edge of the Louvre.We tour the Louvre tomorrow.We then went shopping on a street called Rue Cler, which is closed to vehicles and lined with a fantastic collection of small boutique shops for wine, cheese, meats, fruits and vegetables, breads, pastries.....everything to put together the perfect French basket meal.
Once again we have walked miles and miles today. So much to see, we have yet to let ourselves stop and rest. We are getting in much better shape physically even though we are eating incredible food. Tomorrow we tour museums. Oh, and we also finally did laundry tonight!This is John signing off. Melissa and Annie say hi, too.