Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile

The Arc de Triomphe rose up before us as we emerged from the Metro station. It is situated in the middle of an enormous traffic circle, and is inscribed with the names of soldiers as well as sculptures depicting battles of the Napoleonic Wars and the French Revolution.
An eternal flame marks the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier that honors those who fought in both world wars beneath the arch. An interesting fact: the only time the flame has been extinguished was when a homeless man peed on it.


We climbed the circular stairs and enjoyed a breathtaking view of Paris from the top of the arch. It was dark, so the entire city was illuminated and the traffic circle displayed lines of color split in half: the right a sea of red brake lights and white headlights on the left.
My sister and I wanted our picture taken with the Eiffel Tower in the background, but a couple already had the idea so we had to wait. As a woman started to take their picture, the man suddenly turned, dropped to one knee, and proposed to his girlfriend right there on the top of the arch in the middle of Paris. It was a little surreal – but then again, so was my whole experience.