L’Opéra Garnier et L’Église Madeleine

We started day two at the Opéra Garnier, home of the Phantom of the Opera. On our way to the metro, we realized there is a huge church at the end of our street, Eglise Saint Ambrose. There is a little park in front of the church with a Christmas tree still standing in the middle of the park. It was a fun discovery. Once off the metro, we were blown away by the size of the Opera as we walked up.

steps leading to the back of the Opera Garnier

We were even more impressed once inside, it was amazing. We took a guided tour, which paid off because our guide, Gwen, was awesome. One of the most enthusiastic people I've ever come across, she was also persistent of getting us into the auditorium even though it was closed for a rehearsal, and I am so glad we made it inside.

ceiling of the Opera auditorium 

After spending a few hours exploring the Opera (and looking for the Phantom), we walked down Rue Royale to L’Église Madeleine. The front of the church looks very similar to the Roman Pantheon.

L’Église Madeleine

The church is situated in the middle of Place de la Madeleine, a very exciting part of the city. After looking around inside, we sat down to rest and listen to the organ practice as mass was about to begin. When we walked outside, we had a great view of Place de la Concorde and the Obelisk, and with the Palais Bourbon behind.

Concorde and Palais Bourbon

We left Place de la Madeleine late in the evening and walked around the area nearby. A few streets and squares are still decorated for Christmas, which was fun to see at nighttime. We stopped in a few stores, but soon got hungry so headed back to find dinner. It was a great day of seeing different parts of Paris and also exploring some historic places.