Paris

Upon arrival we took a taxi to our hotel, Mercure Paris Suffren Tour Eiffel. and slept. We then went for breakfast. The hotel is just 200 m from Eiffel Tower and about 500 m from Bir-Hakeim metro station. A very good location. Naturally, our first stop was the Eiffel Tower.

At the foot of Eiffel Tower

Palais de Chaillot

From the tower we walked passed Parc du Champ de Mars to Hotel des Invalides where Napolean Bonaparte is now buried.

Hotel des Invalides

France

I will write about France now that I  have  scanned  the photos into my computer. I did not have a digital camera then. We went to France in September 2003. We joined a hybrid (cross between a packaged tour and free and easy) tour by Globus. We were very impressed with the tour that we have decided to take our Italy and then  Greece holidays with the same company.  The following are the places we visited.

Day 1 (Friday) 

Singapore to Paris

Day 2 (Saturday)

            Paris

           

            Eiffel Tower   

            Palais de Chaillot

            Hotel des Invalides

            Pont Alexandre

            Champs Elysees

           

            4.00 pm meet tour director

            Eiffel Tower at night

Day 3 (Sunday)

           

            Eiffel Tower Second Floor

            Notre Dame

           

            Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel

            Musee du Louvre (outside)

            La Grande Arche

            La Defense

            Montmartre

            Sacre Coeur

            Palais du Luxemburg

            Moulin Rouge

Day 4 (Monday)

            Rouen

            Notre Dame

            Rue du Gros Horloge

            Square where Joan of Arc was burned

            Caen

            Memorial Museum For Peace

            Abbaye aux Hommes

            Eglise St Pierre

           

Day 5 (Tuesday)

            D Day Landings

            Normandy American Cemetery

            Bayeux

            Queen Matilda’s Tapestry

            Abbey of Mont St Michel

           

Day 6 (Wednesday)

            Loire Valley

            Angers chateau

            Tapestry of the Apocalypse

Day 7 (Thursday)

            Chateau Amboise

            Chapelle St Hubert (where Leonardo da Vinci is buried)

            Chateau de Chambord

            Chateau de Chenonceau

            Clos Luce

           

Day 8 (Friday)

            Chartres Cathedral

            Chateau de Versailles

            Musee du Louvre

            Mona Lisa      

            Crazy Horse   

Day 9 (Saturday)

            Arc de Triomphe

            Paris to Singapore

Day 10 (Sunday)

            Home

                       

Leaving Siem Reap

We went back to the hotel for a shower and  lunch before leaving for the airport

Cambodian Cultural Village

Minature models of Cambodian buildings

A traditional Cambodian wedding ceremony

War Museum

This museum contains some old military equipments from the Khmer Rouge regime.

A tank

Ever wonder what a  landmine looks like?

 

AK-47

Cultural Show

We had our dinner here

Shopping for T shirts

A Gum Tree

We were told that the locals burn a hole in the tree to collect the gum to be used as lamp oil

Preah Khan

Preah Khan was built on the site where Jayavarman VII defeated the invading Chams in 1191. It is one of the largest temples in Angkor after Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. We entered by the West Gate and left by the East Gate.

The Gods and Demons holding a serpent depicting the Churning of the Ocean of Milk in front of the West Gate

Garuda holding a naga

Stupa in the middle of  the temple

Naga

A double storey building with round pillars

Many unknown headless statues

Another row of gods and demons at the East Gate

 

The East Gate

 

A row of boundary stones on each side of the road leading to the temple

 

Ta Som

A 12th century temple mainly in ruins.

The East Gate gopura overwhelmed by a sacred fig