Paris Day 2: Notre-Dame Cathedrale, Saint-Chapelle and Tour Montparnasse

We did a lot of sight-seeing on our second day in Paris. The French architecture made an impression on us - not just at the major tourist sites, but also the 'ordinary' buildings on the streets that houses shops, restaurants and residences. We started off our morning picking up breakfast and lunch supplies at an organic market, then made our way perhaps the most famous cathedral in the world: Notre-Dame. The queues to enter the cathedral was prohibitively long, and not willing to waste precious time in Paris waiting in a line, we admired Notre-Dame's architectural beauty from the outside. We also crossed the bridge over to Ile Saint-Louis with the sole purpose of having ice cream at the original Berthillon ice-cream parlour, which is considered the best ice cream in Paris (review to follow). After ice cream, we strolled over to the nearby Saint-Chapelle to admire its beautiful stained-glass windows. In the evening, we went to the top of the tallest skyscraper in Paris, Tour Montparnasse, where we enjoyed uninterrupted sunset views of this beautiful city. Here are some snapshots of what we saw.

A stained-glass window of Saint Marcel inside the belfry that was raised in front of Notre Dame in celebration of the cathedral's 850th year. This 13-metre high temporary belfry will remain erected until the end of 2013:

Notre-Dame Cathedral, as viewed from the terrace leading from the temporary belfry:

The river Seine as seen from Pont Saint-Louis. Click on image for larger view:

The impressive structure of Notre-Dame Cathedrale as viewed from the direction of Pont Saint-Louis:

Admiring the gothic architecture of Saint-Chapelle:

The lower chapel of Saint-Chapelle:

One of the many stained-glass windows of Saint-Chapelle:

A statue of Louis IX (aka Saint Louis) in the lower chapel:

A few of the many relics housed inside Saint-Chapelle:

Huge 13th-century stained-glass windows in the upper chapel:

The apse of the upper chapel of Saint-Chapelle:

A sculpture of Jesus Christ standing at the front portal of the upper chapel of Saint-Chapelle:

Behold, the tallest skyscraper in Paris - Tour Montparnasse:

A panoramic view of the Parisian urban landscape including the most iconic feature: the Eiffel Tower. Click on image for larger view:

Zooming in on the unmistakable golden dome of Les Invalides:

And zooming in on the Eiffel Tower as seen from Montparnasse Tower - another one to add to the many photos I've already posted up:

Stay tuned for more on our Paris trip!