I never dreamed I would find a destination that was as wonderful as Italy, but my trip to Paris, Normandy and the Loire Valley was every bit as gorgeous and enjoyable.

I will begin my report in Paris, the most beautiful city in the world. The Eiffel Tower is over 1000 feet high. If you are considering climbing to the top you should know it will take you 1710 steps to get there. Novelist Guy Maupassant ate lunch on the tower every day because he said it was the only place in Paris he didn’t have to look at it. It was universally disliked initially, but was so useful as a communications tower it was left in place to become the most recognizable structure in the world today.

The Louvre was originally built as a medieval fortress protecting Paris from Viking raids in the 12th century. Today is houses over 35,000 objects of art within its 7 miles or corridors. The Mona Lisa, Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Venus di Milo are all on display in this, arguably the finest art museum in the world.

The corner stone of Notre Dame was laid in 1159 on the site of a Roman Temple. It took over 2 centuries to complete the massive cathedral. There is a gold plate embedded in the stone in front of the cathedral. When I tell you it is 4768 miles from Eufaula to Paris, I have no idea from which exact spot in Eufaula the measurement is taken. However, I know where it ends. Every measurement to Paris ends on that gold plate in front of Notre Dame Cathedral. The flying buttresses span 50 feet, the central spire is 295 feet high, and there are 387 steps to the top of the Emmanuel bell in the south tower. Fragments of the True Cross, True Crown of Thorns, and True Holy Nails are kept here. The south Rose window was built in 1220 and is 43 feet high. This cathedral is a place to spend days, full of fascinating architecture and history.

Louis XIIV built a fabulous tomb for himself and his family, but never used it. Napoleon is now buried under the massive gold encrusted dome in six separate coffins.

During our tour we visited the Arch de Triomphe du Carrousel, the Arch de Triomphe on the Champs Elysees, the Hotel des Invalids, the Place de la Concorde, the Grand and Petit Palaces, and the Pont Alexander III. Of course we returned to the remarkable Versailles, where the treaty ending WWI was signed.

St. Denis is depicted in a statue on the front of Notre Dame. Headless. Holding his head in his hands, actually. St. Denis was the first Bishop of Paris and was beheaded in 250AD. The event didn’t seem to squelch his fervor, because he resolutely picked up his severed head and marched to the top of Mont Mart, where there now stands the breathtaking Sacre Coeur Cathedral built in his honor.

Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen, a beautiful medieval town in the Norman region of France reminiscent of an old English colony. The houses are all wooden timber. The Cathedral of Rouen is a masterpiece. Built in 396 AD it was paid for by a tax on butter. Monet painted this cathedral repeatedly in a variety of changing light settings. I ate the best fruit tart on the cobblestone streets of Rouen I’ve ever eaten. Go there for the scenery, stay for the food.

Caen is a town in Normandy that was virtually obliterated during WWII. Thankfully the fortress of William the Conqueror (built in the 11th century) escaped the carnage, and our walk through this impressive fortification was awe inspiring, as was our tour of the cathedral across the street.

Angers is home to a vast pentagonal fortress with an enormous moat and seven imposing towers. The cathedral here was impressive and housed a skull in a coffin at the back of the Baldacchino. I’ll never understand the medieval penchant for human relics.