Our Paris trip day 2.. Opéra National de Paris, Rue de la Paix and Place Vendôme, home of Hôtel Ritz Paris.

Up and out to start our walk to the Opéra National de Paris. You cannot miss the grandeur of this building, a superb building of great architecture.

The Palais Garnier is the thirteenth theatre to house the Paris Opera since it was founded by Louis X1V in 1669. It was built on the orders of Napoleon 111 as part of the great Parisian reconstruction project carried out by Baron Haussmann. The project for an Opera house was put out to competition and was won by Charles Garnier, an unknown 35-year-old architect. Building work,which lasted fifteen years from 1860 to 1875, was interrupted by numerous incidents, including the 1870 war, the fall of the Empire and the Commune. The Palais Garnier was inaugurated on 5th January 1875.

We had a lovely walk down Rue de la Paix and around Place Vendôme, home of Hôtel Ritz Paris.
Exquisite designers, for clothing, handbags and especially jewellery. Wow you must have some money to shop there, wealth is all around you. Beautiful jewellery...Diamonds...ahh a girls best friend..

Hôtel Ritz is having a revamp/facelift. We have actually had lunch there for a special Wedding Anniversary. The corridors are lined with small cases on the wall filled with Diamonds and watches..Cartier...Marble staircases, and the concierge dressed immaculately, and very polite. Lunch was superb, well looked after by the Maître d'hôtel and a little help from the Sommelier over chosing the wine. A great experience and a €250 lunch bill.  What we expected so came as no surprise. To us worth every penny.

More Food photo's....well you have to eat..