I love cities that are easy to get around. We’ve figured out how to use the metro and the city has nice big sidewalks, so we are covering lots of ground.

I can’t say I learned anything new at the military museum, but I really enjoyed hearing the World War II story from a French perspective. I wasn’t surprised that the role of France in the war was emphasized (and maybe a little bit glorified), but the historians of an occupied city certainly give attention to different details than American textbooks. It was also fun to explore the halls of armor and weapons from different centuries and continents.

Napoleon’s tomb is pretty amazing. I still don’t know anything about it besides what it looks like. Maybe it’s part of the military museum? Maybe it’s in a cathedral? All I can say is this: if there were a real-life global treasure hunt in the style of National Treasure or The Da Vinci Code, this is probably one of the stops on the journey. If you are Indiana Jones, save yourself the trouble of hunting clues and just start here.

Next up is Palais Garnier — the Paris opera house, setting of The Phantom of the Opera. As fans of the musical, we were excited to see the chandelier and box five. But that excitement was completely overshadowed by the awe of walking up the grand staircase and into the grand foyer. The attention to detail is unbelievable; even the most hidden corners were accented with gold or carved marble. The ceilings are covered in beautiful paintings. The luxury is in excess to the point of being absurd.

We watched a chamber music concert in the opera house while we were there. It was nice to see the auditorium and the Chagall ceiling, but really most of our time was spent adjusting in our tiny seats, looking for an exit, and listening to the hostess explain something at great length in French. No breaks, no way to escape. I amused myself by giving the page turner (there was a girl sitting beside the pianist to turn the pages of the music) an imaginary back story and personality. Sweet girl.

I once had a brief layover in Paris that allowed me to see Notre Dame from a distance, so this longer trip allowed me to see the inside. Being completely packed with tourists took away a little bit from the experience, but it helped that they were playing some ambient chants to set the mood. My family is not very patient, so the presence of a line to get into any attraction is usually enough to convince us to change our plans. Ascending the towers of Notre Dame did not make the cut, much to nobody’s dismay.

Time to bandage up my blisters. Lots of distance yet to cover.