Bienvenu a Paris

• After the 11-hour flight from Seattle, we arrived in Paris at 8 a.m. and took advantage of the 16-hour layover on our way to Africa by stretching our legs and seeing as much as we could.
• Rode the train into the city and visited the beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral.

• Strolled the few blocks to Sainte-Chapelle and adored the breathtaking stained glass windows.

• Walked roughly a mile along the Seine to the Musee du Louvre -- we didn't have time to tour the gigantic museum, but we did have time to have fun and eat a snack in the courtyard!

• Hoofed it another 2.5 miles to the Eiffel Tower, napped in the grass by the 1,034-foot structure, then climbed the 1,710 steps to the second level where we were treated to a marvelous view of the city.

• Walked 1.5 miles to the Arc de Triomphe, home of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from WWI.

• Jet-lagged, worn out from covering miles of the city on foot, and running out of time before needing to return to the airport for our 11-hour flight to Johannesburg, we popped into a Lebanese restaurant off the Champs-Elysees for a dinner of tasty lamb shawarma.