Four Famous but not so Major Sites:

Moulin Rouge: Seeing the outside may be a sight itself but what is really worth seeing is the show itself.  Samantha and I had tickets as part of a package that included dinner in the Eiffel Tower, a river cruise and the show.  Somehow, the agency (which I will get to later) screwed up our package so we could not eat in the Eiffel Tower.  We still were able to do the second two activities and the show at the Moulin Rouge more than made up for the agencies mix-up.

Outside the famous theater, The Moulin Rouge. 

Even though you were not supposed to take a picture, we
were able to sneak one. 

Rodin Museum: There are so many museums to choose from when in Paris, of course the Lourve is at the top of the list but where do you go from there.  Sadly we did not make it to Orsay (which is usually second on everyone’s list) but we did make it to the Musue d’ Rodin which is a few blocks away from Orsay.  It contains two parts, Rodin’s former mansion (Rodin was a famous Parisian sculptor) and his gardens.  For the mere price of one euro, you can stroll around his estate (minus the mansion) sitting on a bench in the shade or marveling at some incredible sculptures including the “The Thinker” statue.  The gardens are truly beautiful and provide excellent opportunities for any photo nut. 

The famous Thinker statue. 

The outdoor museum boasted a number of gardens on it's grounds. 

The mansion on the grounds of the museum. 

Sacre Caeour: In one of my favorite areas of Paris, Montmarte (as I mentioned earlier), sits the white Basilica at the top of the hill.  The building itself is quite marvelous but it is the views that make this church worth a visit.  I was not so impressed by the inside which we mistakenly went in but I was impressed by view after the 300 stair climb.  Swarms of tourists were in Montmarte while we were there but there was no wait in line which was an added bonus.

In front of the Sacre Caeour. 

At the top of the Sacre Caeour. 

“Lover’s Bridge”: There are a number of bridges that cross from the east bank to west bank over the Seine, but one stands out from all the rest.  The Pont des Arts is located between the Louvre and the Institut de France and is filled with locks that couples have locked onto the bridge and thrown away the key into the depths of the Seine.  I would say this attraction is more for couples as it is one of the romantic activities to do while in the city of love.  And don’t worry, if you forget to pack a lock there are number of stands that sells locks for tourists to buy (which is what we did).

Samantha with our lock on the lover's bridge. 

There was a model shoot while we were on the bridge. 

On the lover's bridge.

Three sights I did not get to see but are on my list for next time are the Musue d’ Orsay, the Catacombs and Pere Lechesaice Cemetery.  All three were recommended by more than one person but it would have been too much to try and cram them into our trip.  We most likely could have but that would have taken away from the must of any vacation; the ability to go explore without any plan not knowing what street you might stumble upon and what café you might end up having a glass of vin at.