Paris Trip - Day 8

Day 8 was our last full day in Paris. We began the day taking a taxi to the neighborhood of Montmarte to see the "Basilique du Sacre Coeur," which is a beautiful cathedral on the highest point in the city. We walked inside (sorry, no pictures allowed) and there was an Easter Saturday mass going on, so we got to listen to the acoustics in the building. It was beautiful sounding. Later on we took a taxi over to the Arc de Triomphe, where we climbed the stairs to the top. From the top you get a great view of the Eiffel Tower nearby. The arc was originally commissioned by Napolean in 1806. At that time his armies were off fighting in far off lands and he promised his troops would return to Paris "under arches of victory." However, work wouldn't be completed for another 30 years (10 years after Napolean's death.) Being on the arc was pretty special for me. Though the monument was a Napolean creation I kept thinking of the liberation of Paris at the end of World War II. I kept picturing what it must have looked like when the allied forces walked through the arc. Anyway, later in the day I took Ben and Megan to the Musee de l'Armee (the Military Museum of France.) The museum houses one of the largest collections of military and medieval artifacts in all of Europe. The kids were fascinated by all the knight costumes and swords, and I was really interested in the World War I and II displays. At the end of the museum is the tomb of Napolean, which is more like a pharaoh's tomb. When you consider Napolean went from a military leader to the Emperor of France, and thought of himself almost as a God, then it's not surprising to see such a lavishly decorated tomb. Under the massive gold dome lies a large sarcophagus. When you walk down the stairs to the ground floor you are greeted with two massive statues in front of the crypt. Then when you pass through you see the massive sarcophagus. Inside it are 5 more coffins, and then finally the remains of Napolean. The entire monument is incredible to behold. I had a difficult time getting it all in the camera. It is incredibly large. Also buried in and around the tomb are relatives and fellow military leaders of Napolean. Visiting the tomb was one of my favorite moments in the trip.