We’re now around the 8th arrondissement where the Arc De Triomphe was long long time ago constructed by Napolean Bonaparte to mark his major victory in Austerlitz. Beneath the arc lies the Tomb of the Unknown, where a flame is rekindled everyday to commemorate the death of the soldiers in the battle.
A photo of the flame courtesy of Philip
In Paris’ history, the flame was only extinguished twice. The first happened in 1998 when France won the FIFA World Cup. A Mexican was in Paris and was upset over the French victory. He was drinking all night and while walking around the Arc De Triomphe, he decided to pee on the flame. Of course he was caught and was later sent back to Mexico by the French authorities with a stamp on his passport saying to never come back.
In the second incident, a group of Aussies were visiting Paris when they came across the Arc. They saw the flame and thought it would be a great idea to grill their sausages for lunch. Unfortunately, one of them dropped a sausage into the flame, putting out the fire instantly. Again they were sent back to Australia by the French authorities with a stamp saying never to come back. So, if you ever run out of money backpacking in Paris, you can consider this alternative. Credit to the Sandesman guide for this story, I may have messed up some details but thats the gist of it.
The roundabout around the Arc De Triomphe, officially known as Charles de Gaulles, has a bad reputation for its traffic. There are no traffic lights and no pedestrian crossings on the roads. Even insurance companies do not cover accidents by rental cars if they decide to drive into this roundabout. Only the most skilled and bold driver should drive here. With vehicles darting in and out of every single corner, this roundabout has the highest accident rate in Paris.
Climbing 284 steps, you can go up to the viewing gallery on top of the arc. The day we wanted to climb the arc, the gallery was closed because the civil servants were on strike.
The Arc the Tripmphe also marks the beginning of the Champs-Elysées, the premier shopping street in Paris, which eventually connects to the Concorde.
My Grad Trip 