Les Vacances: Day 23

I was on my own today with Gail preferring a quiet day in after the busy travel day yesterday. I had wanted to explore the area called La Defense in Paris; It sounds like it is a military installation, but it really is the very modern business district of the city. The icon of the area is Le Grand Arch de La Defense which I have read about and have seen from Arc de Triomphe, but it was time to see the area up close.

I boarded the 3a Tram at Citie Universitè for the first leg of the trip and then transferred to the PC1 bus across the Seine. This was all new territory for me and gave me a chance to see other parts of the city. What struck me is that Paris is made up of large boulevards that meet at grand roundabouts. There are lots of green, tree lined streets and many parks and gardens. And of course there are bistros, brasseries, restaurants, and cafes almost every block.

I got off the bus at Porte Maillot and crossed Charles de Gaulle Blvd. To the left I could see the Grand Arch; to the right I saw the Arch de Triomphe. As I walked toward the Grand Arch, I felt a bit like Dorothy in The Wiwzard of Oz. The Arch looked deceptively close due to its size; however, after walking several blocks and feeling like it was going to take me until happy hour to get there, I decided to hop on the Metro.

In no time I had arrived at the Esplanade d' Arch which was a grand plaza the size of 20-30 football fields. The Esplanade was lined with stores, restaurants, hotels and modern, glass fronted office buildings that soared to the sky. There were two large reflection pools leading to the Grand Arch, several art pieces and bocce ball courts under the trees. Looked like the typical business district.

When I finally made it to "Oz" I turned and saw the Champs d'Elysse and the Arc de Triomphe off in the distance over two miles away. The Grand Arch was colossal though it was smaller than the skyscrapers adjacent to it. Nonetheless, it is a remarkable piece of architecture and worth seeing up close.