Honeymoon in Paris Day 3: Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tour and Lunch at Ladurée

We climbed the steps going to the second floor of the bus and sat at the very front so we can get the best views of Paris (and so that we don’t get wet!). The bus left the office past 9:00 AM and the first stop from the information center was the Louvre Pyramid. The bus also stopped at Pont des Arts, though we didn’t stay that long as there weren’t any tourists waiting at the bus stop.

Bus squeezing its way into the narrow road going to the Louvre! Big Bus drivers are very well trained and the audio guide mentions this, too!

We continued onto Notre-Dame Cathedral and this was one of the stops where the bus took some time to pick-up passengers. I didn’t find the tour boring because every seat was equipped with an English and European languages audio guide. Disposable earphones were available at the bus’ entrance door.

Closed book shops and souvenir stores along the Seine. They usually open midday.

Bus Stop at Notre Dame Cathderal

Outside Museé d’Orsay

The Big Wheel or Roue de Paris is a transportable ferris wheel. It was at Place de la Concorde, an 18th century plaza, on November 2016. In front of it was the Luxor Obelisk

Paris - Villages de Noel holiday bazaars along Champs-Élysées

Bazaars and other holiday-themed attractions on the other side of the road

Finally reaching the Big Bus stop at Arc de Triomph along Champs-Élysées!

The stop at Champs-Élysées was the longest one and despite the gloomy weather, a lot of tourists still swarm this shopping avenue and the must-see attraction Arc de Triomphe. Champs-Élysées is a shopaholic’s dream destination, so I was so thrilled to spot stores which I wanted to visit later on in the day! I was also pleased that there was free wifi along Avenue des Champs-Élysées, so it took away the boredom in between audio gaps and from waiting too long at the bus stop.

Moving on, the bus travelled to Grand Palais which is a huge exhibition hall and museum complex. It’s also one of the grandest architectural structures in Paris which isn’t hard to miss because of its grandeur presence and glass ceiling panels. The next stops were Trocadéro and Tour Eiffel, which are popular destinations to have photos taken with the background of the Eiffel Tower.

Residential Apartments around 7th Arrondissement that's very close to Eiffel Tower

Typical residential apartment buildings in Paris, some of which were turned into hotels.

Hôtel National des Invalides

Musée Rodin and The Thinker (Le Penseur), a sculpture of Augustine Rodin representing philosophy (man in deep thought).

Champ de Mars park is also a great place to have Eiffel Tower photos taken, though it was under construction last November. During spring and summer, many tourists plant their blankets on the grass to have picnics or bask under the sun while reading a book. The bus also passed by this park before snaking its way to Les Invalides, comprising of France’s military museum, monuments, and home to war veterans.

View of the Eiffel Tower from Champ de Mars park

L'église de la Madeleine (or La Madeleine in short), a Roman Catholic church in a temple style structure.

Pont Alexandre III deck arch bridge over the Seine that connects Les Invalides, the Eiffel Tower, and Champs-Élysées. It is known to be the most extravagant bridge in Paris.

We passed by Place de la Concorde once more until we reached the stop for Opéra Garnier (also known as Palais Garnier), which is home to Paris’ opera and ballet. I don’t remember if there was a ballet recital during the time we visited, but I’d love to watch one the next time I’m in Paris. My husband and I had to hop-off the bus at this stop because I had the very strong urge to pee. Luckily, Galeries Lafayette was just a few steps away so I took the opportunity to run to the toilet.

Appetizer: (Left) Scottish smoked salmon, dill cream, red oxals, blinis, and pancake; (Right) Duck foie gras with slices of Ladurée kougloff and a half macaron