A Day in Paris

We took the train to the capital of France, which we wanted to visit at least once during our vacation in Normandy.

When we arrived, it was unfortunately raining, and the forecast predicted another hour of heavy rain, so we took the Metro directly to Forum Les Halles. The large shopping center has a covered access to the Metro, so we didn't even have to go outdoors to stroll around and have a coffee.

When we finally ventured outside again, the rain had stopped and the sky was clearing up.

We wanted to visit the Samaritaine department store, which was still under renovation during our last visit and whose interior and exterior are designed in Art Nouveau style.

At first, we accidentally entered the wrong building since the name of the department store now adorns several stores, but then we found the intended building on the Seine.

Next, we wanted to see the newly rebuilt Notre Dame Cathedral after the fire. Since the line for entry stretched across the entire square, we decided against visiting the interior and only looked at the new facade.

We continued along the banks of the Seine and soon saw the Louvre emerging on the opposite bank.

The next tickets we could have booked for the museum at short notice would not have been valid until May, and the line was long here too, so we were glad to have only planned a walk for our one day in the city.

We continued through the Tuileries Gardens and took a little break by the fountain.

Our path led us to the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, which we walked all the way down. The building next to a luxury brand store was wrapped like a giant suitcase, while construction work seemed to be taking place in the background.

At the end of the street, we checked out the Arc de Triomphe before taking the Metro to the Trocadéro station.

From there, we had a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower.

As we walked down the stairs to its base, it started to rain and shortly after, heavy rain poured down on us. Fortunately, we were equipped with umbrellas.

During our detour to the Invalides, the sky turned blue again.

On our way back to the station, we admired the facade of the Printemps department store, before it was time to head back, marking the end of our last vacation day.