After we climbed down those 385 stairs, we started to walk. It was a little chilly, so we walked quite briskly and I was so glad that I had brought mittens for everyone. We headed towards the Louvre and passed by this church on our way. It's Eglise St-Germain L'Auxerrois, built between the 13th and 16th centuries. This is one of the things I love about Europe...you turn a corner and find a simply breathtaking piece of architecture...totally unexpected. It had some gorgeous baptismal fonts inside. After a look around we continued through the courtyard of the Louvre, and into the Place de la Concorde, home of the 3,200 YEAR old Luxor Obelisk. When you stand here, you can look straight down the Champs Elysees and see the Arc de Triomphe at the end, and you can turn 180 degrees and see the Louvre. It's definately Paris!! What a sight! We proceeded to walk down the Champs, legs a little tired (remember, we had just gone up and down 385 narrow little cement stairs...that's 770 steps) We were also getting a little hungry and Nicole recalled seeing a McDonalds last time she was there...10 years ago!! But, to my surprise, there it still was, almost at the end of the street, but those golden arches looked fine to me. Now, before someone says: "What? You went to Paris and ate at a McDonalds?" let me assure you, we also ate at local places, and what's more, I always check out a foreign McDonalds...they are just different enough to be fun, and familiar enough to be comforting. Plus they alsmost always have clean bathrooms. This one had the bathrooms, music-listening stations and beer. And cappucino...we were content. After refreshing ourselves, we continued on our way, looking in the store windows at Cartier diamonds and other expensive goodies, all the while watching the Arc de Triomphe get closer and closer.
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