We took the Metro from Le Marais to the Arc de Triomphe, probably the second most famous Paris icon after the Eiffel Tower. Stately and imposing, it was commissioned by Napoleon to honor the victories of his Grande Armee. We climbed to the top of the Arch where we enjoyed stunning views of Paris in all directions. Afterwards, we strolled down the Champs-Elysees, one of the world's most famous thoroughfares. The Champs-Elysees was reminiscent of 5th Avenue in New York--high end shops, grand hotels, embassies and a multinational crowd strolling its length.
![Eternal Flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier-L'Arc de TriompheBeneath the Arc is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. Interred on Armistice Day 1920,[15] it has the first eternal flame lit in Western and Eastern Europe since the Vestal Virgins' fire was extinguished in the fourth century. It burns in memory of the dead who were never identified (now in both world wars).The slab on top bears the inscription ICI REPOSE UN SOLDAT FRANÇAIS MORT POUR LA PATRIE 1914–1918 ("Here lies a French soldier who died for the fatherland 1914–1918").](https://stored-cf.slickpic.com/Mzc5OTJhOTA2ZDFmMw,,/20151202/MTE2MDgzNTMzYTA2/pm/600/001_%2819%29.jpg){kind=link}
