Thursday, September 3, 2026, we walked nine miles on our first full day in Paris.
Yes, we had some weary moments, but we saw a lot in those nine miles.
To walk nine miles, a group needs a good navigator. In this case, Dan was our lead, with reliable assistance from Betsy and Butch.
We made it from the metro station by our hotel to the metro station that dropped us near the Eiffel Tower.
The famous tower is as advertised.
I like the grounds around the tower. Lots of room, simply landscaped, and our team’s pre-planning made accessing the tower seamless.
Eiffel Tower personnel were good at managing people and ensuring that we made it up the tower safely and with ample time to move around and explore.
The tower is impressive. The structure of connecting all that metal framing together from top to bottom is quite a sight.
However, I love the views from the top. No matter the direction I look, I see a pretty city.
From the tower, we took in one of the spectacular bridges in Paris—Pont de Birhakiem. This a two-level steel bridge. The building of this bridge began in 1903. The bridge is just as beautiful today as when it was completed in 1905. And yes, the Seine River is magical as it weaves its way through the city.
We worked our way to the Arc de Triomphe. Dating back to 1806, the Arc carries lots of French history.
A piece of its history that resonated with me is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. An eternal flame is used to honor unidentified French soldiers who died in World War I.
With lunch time arriving, we had a short wait for an outside table at the Cafe de Paris. My French onion soup was delicious.
From the restaurant, we explored and walked the famous boulevard, the Champs-Elysees.
Our next stop was Petit Palais. This art museum was constructed as one of the showcases for the 1900 Universal Exhibition. The exterior design of the museum is stunning.
Many beautiful paintings are displayed in the museum. One of my favorites is a painting by Léon Lhermitte. This painting is of an open air market. Several sources noted the work of Lhermitte captured “working class people with dignity.”
Since Petit Palais is located on Avenue Winston-Churchill, it is appropriate that a magnificent statue of Churchill is on the front grounds of the museum. The sculptor clearly captured Mr. Churchill’s features and demeanor. At the base of the statue are these words: “We shall never surrender.” Thank the good Lord they didn’t.
Another bridge awaited our exploration—Pont Alexandre III. Again, the bridge has an exceptional design and presence on the Seine. Without question, my eyes were drawn to the four gilt bronze statues of Fames. These statues keep a close eye on the bridge and all of its users.
Parched and needing a restroom break, we found another nice cafe. Sitting outside, I was able to order and enjoy an original French beer from the Pelforth Brewery. Dating back to 1921, the label on the bottle still showcases a pelican. Sadly, Pelforth is now owned by Heineken.
Refreshed, we gathered ourselves for our final stop of the day—Musee d’Orsay.
Musee d’Orsay is another massive art museum. The museum’s location is on the Left Bank of the Seine in a building that was originally a railway station.
No matter where you walk— up, down, left, right, your are going to enjoy a wide range of artwork.
I loved the Monet painting of turkeys, and the Degas painting The Parade which features horses warming up before a race.
But since I once had a summer job working in the hardwood floor business run by my Aunt Mildred and her husband, Garland, I was drawn to a painting by Gustave Caillebotte named The Floor Scrapers. The workers in the painting are removing by hand the existing finish on the floor.
We had allotted ourselves an ample amount of time to explore the museum. That also included a designated spot to meet by a certain time.
With the hustle of the day and jet lag starting to hover over us, we all made it to our meeting spot on time.
The last challenge of the day was making our way to a metro station that would bring us within easy walking distance of our hotel. Luckily, our brain trust was able to guide us to the proper location to make that happen.
Back at the hotel, collapsing in our rooms sounded like a good idea, but we managed to take a short walk in the neighborhood to Cafe Eugene. This comfy place had been recommended by our guide, and he directed us to a good place.
Even though it was near the end of the evening, our waiter was energetic with a good balance of humor and patience with some drained Americans.
We ordered our drinks. Then a bowl of olives arrived. The olives were delicious. We couldn’t stop reaching for them.
My Grimbergen beer, originally from Belgium, also hit the spot.
Summer was still hovering over Paris, and while it might have seemed out of place at a French restaurant, Betsy and I ordered bowls of gazpacho.
The freshness of the summer vegetables was in every spoonful. Quite simply, the gazpacho was delicious. It was just what we needed to cap off a glorious day of exploring Paris.
We made the walk back to our hotel.
In the lobby, we agreed on our Friday morning meeting and departure time, and then we collapsed in our rooms.
