Midnight in Paris

As our farewell treat to ourselves, we hired a taxi for a two-hour after-dark tour of the most memorable spots in Paris.  Since we have little left to do here, it will be our farewell entry on this little travelogue we've been doing.  In truth, this blogging exercise has been mostly for ourselves, capturing the moments we most want to remember in a way that might be enjoyed by someone looking over our shoulders.  So join us on this little drive through the streets of Paris, slightly altered from the sequence we took.   Say "bon soir" to Ali, our cab driver extraordinaire.  Not only did he speak adequate English, but he also knew just what we wanted and how to sequence things for the best experience possible.  On top of that, he knew how to handle a camera (see final photo below).

The Arc de Triomphe was closest to our apartment, so we started and ended there:

It's really a massive structure, and this look at it from the middle of the Champs-Elysees gives a sense of scale to the biggest retail center in the city:

A few blocks away is the Garnier Opera (I'm sure the Phantom still lives there):

We had to stop and pay our respects to "Our Lady", Notre Dame:

To be honest, the pyramids that I. M. Pei installed at the Louvre never quite resonated with me until I saw them at night.

And, of course, Paris's logo, Le Tour Eiffel.  And to think that when this was built it was intended to be torn down after ten years!

Every night at the stroke of each hour, for five minutes the tower twinkles.  This 11-second video clip captures just that moment.

So that's our "Midnight in Paris" experience.  We hope you enjoyed sharing our month here.  A big part of our fun was sharing it with you.  From the City of Light, Au Revoir!