. . . the Arc de Triomphe.  We got hungry.

The Arc de Triomphe was a hefty hike from our Paris hotel, so we set out, subway passes in hand, to figure out the subway system and manage a transfer to reach the Arc and look down the Champs Elysees (shahm l-e-z’).  By the time we walked to the Metro stop we thought would be best and figured out which zone we were in and which one we were heading to, not to mention how to validate the subway pass, we decided to go to a cafe and have lunch before making the excursion to the Arc.

It was in the cafe that we met Felix, a native Parisian, and became involved in a lengthy conversation with him about Paris and other things.  The Paris Opera House was across the street from the cafe and there was a Metro stop in front of it, so we headed over.  It was unexpectedly impossible to cross the street to the Opera House because hundreds of bicyclists riding yellow bikes and wearing yellow shirts stopped the traffic and circled the area.  No one in the crowd seemed to know what was going on except that the Tour de France was a long way south, so this was something else.  Scandinavian flags were evident among the group, but the rest is a mystery.

When we made it across the street, we noticed tourist-type people on the balcony of the Paris Opera House and decided to see if we could go in to see the inside.  (That’s the Opera House in the picture above and you can see the people on the balcony.)  For seven euros, the answer was “yes,” so we bought tickets.  What a fortunate decision for us.  The Paris Opera House is considered the most beautiful in the world.  It’s huge and magnificent.  We were able to walk around on three levels and every new view seemed more beautiful than what we’d already seen.  The last performance of the season was scheduled that evening, and it was sold out or I think we’d have bought tickets.  Attending a performance of either an opera or a ballet (they do both and can produce two shows simultaneously) will determine the timing of our next visit.  We don’t even care if we like the show (although it will most likely be excellent)–we just want to see/hear a performance in that wonderful building.  Note:  We’ll also have to see the Arc de Triomphe next time.

While looking at the displays in the Opera House, we saw Gene Kelly on a video.  Reading the information and watching the video, we learned that American dance is a distinctive and respected art form, combining the modern with the traditional and influencing the way ballet is now performed throughout the world.  Gene Kelly, in fact, was a leader in developing modern dance and directed ballet performances in the Paris Opera House.  We had no idea that American dance had such an influence on the art.