Eatonia Marengo Europe 2012: Paris: City of Lights

When we leave Lucerne we will head to Zurich Switzerland where we will board the TGV train to Paris. TGV trains are high-speed bullet trains and the trip from Zurich to Paris will take approximately 5 hours. TGV trains travel at speeds up to 186 MPH.

Paris is the cosmopolitan capital of France, and one of the largest cities in Europe. There are 2.2 million people living in the dense central city and almost 12 million people living in the whole metropolitan area. Located on the River Seine, Paris has the reputation of being the most beautiful and romantic of all cities, full of history and very influential in the realms of culture, art, fashion, food and design. Paris is called the City of Light and Capital of Fashion and is home to the world's finest and most luxurious fashion designers and cosmetics, such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent, and others.

The city of Paris is officially divided into 20 districts called arrondissements, numbered from 1 to 20 in a clockwise spiral from the centre of the city (which is known as Kilometre Zero and is located at the front of Notre Dame). Arrondissements are named according to their number. You might, for example, stay in the "5th", which would be written as 5e in French. Each arrondissement has its own unique character and selection of attractions for the traveler.

Paris is one of the world's great gastronomic capitals and no visit to the City of Light is complete without sampling some of the wonderful culinary pleasures offered in the city. Crepes are "street food" and available at many vendors. Make sure you choose from a vendor who is making the thin pancakes fresh as you watch. They are a perfect envelope for sweet fillings—chestnut, lemon, nutella and banana—or salty— cheese, mushrooms, or ham. The French cafes and bakeries always have a display of fresh baked good that make your mouth water. There are many options, including fresh tarts and croissants filled with chocolate. Macarons are sweet meringue type cookies often sandwiched together with a cream filling. They melt in your mouth and its hard to stop at just one!!

Some of the places we will visit and see in Paris include:

1. Arc de Triomphe