The Alexander III Bridge across the Seine River, a monument itself, is the most beautiful and elaborate bridge in Paris. It was built for the Exposition of 1900 and symbolized the Russian–French friendship. Tsar Nicholas II laid the corner stone, and the bridge is named for his father, Tsar Alexander III. Paris is a city of monuments on every corner, in every park, in the medians of streets, down dark alleys, and even on tops of buildings. One could spend a lifetime just searching out monuments in Paris.

Needless to say, Linda and I didn’t have time for all the monuments, so we picked several favorites to gawk at: the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Obelisk of Luxor. The obelisk was interesting to us because we had recently been to Egypt and seen its twin, the one Napoleon did not steal.

Our hotel in the Rue Cler neighborhood was close to the Eiffel Tower, so we chose it first. It was impressive and very crowded. This Tour de Eiffel has had over 240 million visitors since it was constructed on the left bank of the Seine River in 1889 to celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution.

The Obelisk of Luxor is located in the Place de Concorde at the opposite end of the Avenue des Champs–Elysées from the Arc de Triomphe. During the French Revolution the guillotine was located at the same spot. The architect, Gustave Eiffel, designed it, paid for it, produced its 18,000 iron beams, and oversaw its 18–month–long construction. It is truly a marvel of construction.

There are three levels – 187 feet, 377 feet, and 899 feet. The antennae at the top is 1,063 feet, taller than the Chrysler Building in New York. You can walk or take the elevator to the first and second levels. Only the elevator reaches level three, which we planned to do. When the guard said the wait was over three hours, we left to check out the Arc de Triomphe.

The Eiffel Tower as seen from our Rue Cler neighborhood. The Avenue des Champs–Elysées stretches in its grand glory from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde where the Obelisk of Luxor is located. Champs–Elysées is Park Avenue, 5th Avenue, and Broadway wrapped up in a tree–lined pedestrian paradise. It was all I could do to pull Linda out of the shops along the way.

The Arc de Triomphe was built to honor Napoleon as the new Roman Emperor after he defeated the Austrians in 1809. Since the Little General lost – twice – the arch now honors all French military dead and contains the Tomb of the unknown World War I soldier.

The arch is 165 feet high and may be ascended via 284 steps. I climbed it in 1982 and remembered a remarkable view of all of Paris, but Linda preferred to spend her time shopping rather than wait an hour in line.

The Arc de Tr iomphe served as a parade gateway for triumphal German armies in 1940 and triumphal Allied Forces in 1944. Our promenade along the two–mile–long Champs– Elysées was delightful. Quaint cafes, tea salons, fashionable shops, high–tech automobile showrooms, elegant hotels, and even a bright yellow and red McDonald’s. (In France, McDonald’s are called MacDo’s.)

The guillotine used 2,780 times during the French Revolution was in the Place de la Concorde. Today the 72–foot– tall Obelisk of Luxor stands where Louis XVI lost his head. The obelisk was “given” to the French in 1829 by the Viceroy of Egypt, Mohammed Ali. It once marked the entrance to the Amon Temple, 3,300 years ago. It is decorated with hieroglyphics from the reigns of Ramses II and Ramses III. It took over two years to take down the 230–ton monument, pack it up, and ship it down the Nile, across the Mediterranean, around the Atlantic coast, and up the Seine.

This monument in a Par is park reads: A Souvenir of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, November 9, 1989. That night Linda and I had dinner at the Marche Restaurant near our hotel. Our table mates were two nice English ladies who regularly visit Paris in August when the French vacate the city.

The waiter was raised in Miami when his parents studied at the University of Miami. He spoke English with no accent. Linda thought he was “cute” and gave him a big tip.

(Next week: Orangerie and

Orsay Museums)