Notre Dame

One of the most notable monuments in Paris (and in all of Europe for that matter) is the Notre Dame Cathedral. This Catholic treasure is over 800 years old. It is located on a small island called the Ile de la Cite in the middle of river Seine. The building of the cathedral was completed over the course of 200 years; it was started in 1163 during the reign of King Louis VII and was completed in 1345. 
                                                                  

• river--la rivière
• gargoyles--les gargouilles
• flying buttresses--l'arc boutant
• tourists--les touristes
• island--île 

                                                                   

le cassoulet

                                                                  
crêpes

                                                                  
I hear bells.--J'entends les cloches.
                                                                  
I listen to the bells.--J'ai écouté les cloches.
                                                                  

Sacre Coeur

The site of the 19th-century basilica is traditionally associated with the beheading of the city's patron, Saint Denis, in the 3rd century. According to legend, after he was martyred, Bishop Denis picked up his severed head and carried it several miles to the north, where the suburb of 

Saint-Denis stands today.

                                                                                          

• the view--la vue
• the hill--la colline
• crosses--des croix
• the dome--le dôme
• benches--les bancs

                                                                                          

 la bouillabaisse

                                                                                          
clafoutis












                                                                                          
I hear cameras clicking--J'entends les caméras cliquant.
                                                                                          
I watched the sunset.--J'ai regardé le coucher du soleil.
                                                                                          

La Tour Eiffel

La Tour Eiffel was at the 1889 Exposition Universelle, the date that marked the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, that a great competition was launched in the Journal Officiel. The wager was to "study the possibility of erecting an iron tower on the Champ-de-Mars with a square base, 125 metres across and 300 metres tall". Selected from among 107 projects, it was that of Gustave Eiffel, an entrepreneur, Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, both engineers, and Stephen Sauvestre, an architect, that was accepted. 
The first digging work started on the 28th January 1887. On the 31st March 1889, the Tower had been finished in record time – 2 years, 2 months and 5 days – and was established as a veritable 
technical feat. 
                                                               

• the stairs--les escaliers
• the elevators--les élévateurs
• the tourists--les touristes
• the grass--l'herbe
• the lights--les lumières

                                                               




le bœuf bourguignon

                                                               
tarte tatin

                                                               
I hear tourists talking.--J'entends parler des touristes.

                                                               
I climbed the stairs.--Je suis monté les escaliers.