I was only in Paris for a few days, but wherever I went, from the famous attractions like the Louvre and Notre Dame, to taking walks to the National Library and along the river, the views were very enjoyable. It’s obvious that a lot of effort is put into preserving not just famous historic buildings but decades-old townhouses which people live in. There are a lot of old buildings and hardly any highrises, and this is probably a deliberate form of urban planning to maintain the same look of neighborhoods.

The Paris subway also has a distinct antique character, which is fitting given that it started operating in 1900! For example, you have to open the subway car doors by hand and a lot of the hallways, stairs and platforms look like you could be in the 1950s. It is a great city to stroll through the streets and neighborhoods and riverbank, and I wish I could have done much more of that.

Goodbye Paris. Setting off at Gare Lyon station

The top photo and this one above were taken during a morning walk before I left Paris in the afternoon. It was a serene way to enjoy viewing Notre Dame from a distance.

Bibliothèque nationale de France (National Library of France)

Elevated subway station

Looking at one of the many great paintings at the Louvre

Admiring some of Paris’ grand buildings from on top of the Montparnasse Tower

I didn’t realize how massive the Louvre is until I saw it from here (it’s the long building on the left that stretches past more than half of the photo). Notre Dame with its twin towers is to the right.