Directly Hotels, provides direct access to a collection of hand-picked independent boutique hotels in major cities around the world.

Paris

PARIS

Getting around

• Getting there

As the most popular tourist city in the world there are plenty of ways to get to Paris. By air to one of the
main airports- Charles de Gaulle and Orly being the main ones, by train, either using the fantastic French SNCF service
or by Eurostar from the UK. It is also of course possible (but not recommended) to get to Paris by car (don't take your
car into Paris!

•Airports and low cost flights

Paris is mainly served by two international airports: Roissy/Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to the north of the city,
and Orly  (ORY) to the south. Together, these airports attracte 75 million passengers annually, with flights to 500
cities in 132 countries. Most international flights arrive at Roissy/CDG, while domestic French flights generally
arrive at Orly.

Both CDG and Orly feature great airport facilities — including duty-free shops, car rentals, restaurants, hotels,
post offices, and ground transport into the city center.

A third international airport, Beauvais-Tillé (BVA), has got increasing popularity with some European travelers
in recent years, handling over 2 million passengers during 2007. Located 84 km/52 miles from Paris in the department
of Oise (province of Picardy), Beauvais primarily serves as a hub for budget airlines hailing from Ireland, the U.K.,
and a few other western European countries.

Low cost flights

There are many low cost flight options for Paris including:

www.easyjet.com
www.ryanair.com
www.flybmi.com
www.airberlin.com

•Car rentals

There are many options for renting a car in Paris some options are below:

www.europcar.com
www.hertz.com
www.nationalcar.com
www.sixt.fr
 
* To see
    
* Churches

Notre Dame Cathedral

Paris' most famous Cathedral was built between 1163 and 1345 commissioned by the bishop Maurice de Sully. The
cathedral saw a great amount of destruction during its long history, mainly during the French Revolution, but it was
brought back to its former splendor at the end of the 19th century. The beautiful facade is crowned by two Gothic towers,
and welcomes visitors with three elegantly decorated portals. Make sure you see the north portal, with its magnificent rose
window and the flying buttresses surrounding the apse.
The interior contains stained glass windows, the choir and Treasury (medieval manuscripts, paraments and gold shrines). You can
also attempt the 380 stairs that lead to the southern tower and see the gargoyles, mythological monsters immortalized by Victor Hugo.
The view of the city is wonderful.

Where: Place du Parvis Notre-Dame. Metro: Cité

Hours: every day. Visitors are not allowed during mass. The Treasury is open Mon.-Sat. 9.30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

Sainte Chapelle

This masterpiece of Gothic architecture is one of the highlights of Paris. The chapel is located inside the Palais de Justice. The building is
made up of two parts: the solemn lower chapel, used by servants and the people, and the upper chapel reserved for the royal family.
The latter is decorated with 15 stained glass windows which cover all the walls giving it a surreal appearance. The stained glass windows
show more then 1100 scenes from the Bible in a kaleidoscope of red, blue and green lights that leave everyone breathless. Visit on a sunny
day and you'll understand why worshipers called it "the entrance to heaven".

Where: 4, Boulevard de Palais. Metro: Citè

Hours: March-October: 9.30-18.00. November- February: 9.00-17.00

Saint Severin Church

Another wonderful medieval church, built in Flemish Gothic style in the 14th century. The interior contains Gothic architecture which surrounds the
choir. The site was previously used as a burial ground for the poor and the ossuary still exists in the church garden.

Where: Latin Quarter


Saint Sulpice Church

This massive church overshadows a square of the same name in the Luxembourg quarter. Its construction went on for more than a century, but the facade was
never finished, as can be seen by the two unequal towers. When you enter the church go and see Delacroix's frescos in the Chapelle des Anges and don't
miss the 1776 organ, one of the biggest in the world with its 6,700 pipes.

Where: Pl. St-Sulpice. Metro: St-Sulpice. Hours: 7.30-19.30

Pantheon

A grandiose Neoclassical church built by Louis XV in gratitude for having recovered from a serious illness. After the French Revolution the church was
made into a shrine to house the tombs of France's heroes. Voltaire, Rousseau, Zola, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie and other famous French cultural
figures are buried here.

Where: Place du Pantheon. Metro: L10 Cardinal Lemoine, L7 Jussieu

Hours: all year 10:00 a.m.-6:15 p.m.

Sainte Eustache Church

Saint-Eustache is one of the most attractive churches in Paris, built between 1532 and 1637 with a Gothic layout modelled after Notre Dame.
However, Renaissance canons were applied on the building for the first time in France, which is evident in the decorations, columns and capitals.
The classical facade was added in the 18th century.

Where: Place du Jour. Metro: Les Halles

Hours: Mon.-Sat.9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Sun. 8:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

* Museums and Galleries

Louvre Museum

The most celebrated museum in the world is housed in a grandiose building that is an attraction in itself. The Louvre was built in many phases, in 1190
it was a fortress the remains of which can be seen under the Sully wing. It completely changed style in the mid 1500's and became a Renaissance style residence.
Since then various rulers have put on modifications and expansions, the most recent was the glass pyramid added in 1989. The Louvre houses the great collections of
the French royal family and many works stolen by Napoleon during his campaigns to conquer new lands. It is impossible to visit the Louvre's collection in one visit
it contains 30,000 pieces. The museum is divided into macro-sections; it is advisable to choose an area before you visit.

    * European painting: from 1400 to 1900 with many great Flemish, German, Italian and naturally French works. Mona Lisa's smile is housed here, but it is only a
drop in the ocean of masterpieces of each artist and era.
    * European sculpture: the biggest part is French sculpture, primarily from the 17th and 18th centuries, there is also an interesting section on Italian sculpture.
    * Antiquities: Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan and Roman. Artifacts of extraordinary importance and beauty.
    * Decorative arts: a very vast range of objects: silver, jewels, tapestries, furniture, ceramics, ivory and much more from all over the world. The Galerie
d'Apolon includes the jewels of the French Crown.

Hours: Mon., Thurs., Sat. and Sun. 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Wed., Fri. 9:00 a.m.-9:45 p.m. Closed Tuesday.

Metro: L1/L7 Palais-Royal-Musée du Louvre. Batobus: Louvre, Quai François Mitterrand

Musée D'Orsay

This incredible museum is dedicated to art from 1848 to 1914 when Paris was the center of the art, culture and fashion world. The museum is situated in the former
Left Bank train station built in Art Nouveau style in 1900. It was converted to a museum in the 1980's after just missing being destroyed, and is currently one
of the most famous and most visited museums in the world. The collections are mainly paintings and sculptures, and range from the Romantic and pre-Impressionist
period, while the upper floor contains the famous Impressionist collection with the great names from the period: Monet, Manet, Renoir, Gaugain, Cezanne, Pissarro,
 Degas and even Van Gogh.

Metro: L12 Solferino. RER: Line C, Musée d'Orsay

Hours: Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat. and Sun. 9:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Thurs. 9:30 a.m.-9:45 p.m. Closed Monday.

Picasso Museum

The biggest collection of Picasso's works in the world, with 200 paintings, 160 sculptures and 88 ceramics and collages, including many many drawings and
prints. The museum spans Picasso's artistic life in chronological order from the Blue Period to the Pink Period including cubism and his later works. Where:
Hotel de Salé, Rue de Thorigny.

Metro: L8 St Sebastien.

Hours: April-September 9.30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; October-March 9.30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

National Museum of Modern Art

The national modern art museum is housed in the futuristic Centre Pompidou, in the Beaubourg Quarter. The collection is really enormous, the museum possess
more than 30,000 pieces which are rotated in expositions which do not contain any more than 900. The works cover the entire period from the early 1900's to
the present, one of the biggest collections of contemporary art in the world: cubism, dadism, surrealism, expressionism and pop art, minimal art and
 contemporary avant-garde movements, with the greatest names of the 20th century: Miró, Giacometti, Dubuffet, Picasso, Matisse, Léger, Chagall,
 Kandinsky, without forgetting great Americans like Pollock and Andy Warhol.

Where: Centre Georges Pompidou. Metro: L11 Rambuteau. RER: Les Halles

Hours: 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m, closed Tuesday.

Middle Ages Museum

The national medieval museum is essential for lovers of the Dark Ages. It is housed in the Hotel de Cluny, a splendid 15th century medieval building
originally habitat to the Benedictine monks of Cluny. Its cellars contain the remains of a 2nd century Roman bath. The museum displays a rich collection
of French medieval art: furniture, tapestries, armor and sculpture. The heads of the Kings of Israel and Judah, removed from Notre Dame during the
Revolution, are among the most interesting pieces in the museum.

Where: 6, Place Paul Painlevé. Metro: L10 Cluny La Sorbonne

Hours: 9.15am - 5.45pm

National Museum of Natural History

An enormous museum complex dedicated to natural history, divided into various section most of which are located near the Jardin des Plantes.

    * Paleontology galleries: collection of skeletons and fossils which cover more than 600 million years of the history of life.
    * Mineralogy and geology galleries: one of the most prestigious collections in the world, with minerals, crystals and precious gems.
    * Gallery of evolution: a journey through the world of living animal species and those which are already extinct.
    * Botanical garden: opened to the public in 1640, this is an exceptional garden which extends over an area of various hectares.
    * Museum of man: ethnology and anthropology collection which traces the history of human evolution from 3.5 million years ago to the present. The Musée de l'Homme is located at the Trocadero. (Place du Trocadéro, Metro L6/L9 Trocadéro).

Where: 57 Rue Cuvier. Metro: L7/L10 Jussieu. RER: Gare d'Austerlitz

Hours: 10.00 a.m.-5:00 p.m, closed Tuesday. Tel: 01 40 79 54 79 / 56 01

Museum of Science (Cité des Sciences)

The museum of science and technology is part of the Cité complex, a large futuristic area built in the former municipal slaughter house. The museum of
science is the so-called Explora, it offers a 360 degree view of science, environment, technology, information technology, astronomy and much more.
Non-permanent exhibits are held regularly in the Cité, there is also a Planetarium, City of Children, the underwater Argonaute and many other attractions.

Where: Parc de la Villette 30, Av. Corentin Cariou. Metro: L7 Porte de la Villette

Hours: 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Sun. 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., closed Monday. Tel.: 0892 69 70 72 0892 69 70 72     

Paris Fashion Museum

Paris' fashion museum relates the story of great French fashion from the 1700's to the present. 90,000 pieces are on display: not just clothing,
but also costumes and fashion accessories.

Where: 10 Avenue Pierre-Ier de Serbie, Metro: L9 Iéna

Hours: Tues.-Sun. 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., closed Monday.

Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts


This is the greatest collection of Asian art in the west. It was put together by the industrialist Émile Guimet, who collected impressive amounts
of Asian artifacts during his voyages. The collection covers all types of Asian art from Japan, China, Indonesia and India and ends with the
treasures of the silk road. The Buddhist Panthéon is situated near the museum, with a Japanese garden where you can experience a traditional
tea ceremony The museum has a full program of cultural events, seminars, workshops and temporary exhibits.

Where: 6, Place d'Iéna. Metro: L9 Iéna

Hours: 10.00 a.m.-6:00 p.m, closed Tuesday. Tel.: 01 56 52 53 00

* Buildings and monuments

Eiffel Tower

The most celebrated Parisian monument in the world was built for the World Exposition of 1889  on a design by Gustave Eiffel. It is
320 meters tall and the tower is composed of 15,000 metallic parts. It was the tallest building in the world until the construction of
the Empire State Building in 1931. An elevator goes to the top where there is a fantastic view of the city. Super fit visitors can also
climb the 700 stairs to the intermediate platform (115 m).

Where: Champ de Mars. Metro: Champ de Mars Tour Eiffel (RER C)

Hours: all year 9.30 a.m.-11:00 p.m.; July-August 9:00 a.m.-midnight.

Hotel des Invalides

This huge complex was constructed by Louis XIV at the end of the 17th century as a home for veterans who had been wounded and living in poverty.
The building is huge and contains great examples of Baroque architecture. The Hotel des Invalides, Cour d'Honneur and church of St Louis
des Invalides with its beautiful golden dome and Napoleon's tomb are worth visiting. His ashes rest under the 1840 dome in a solemn mausoleum.
Weapons fans should not miss the Musée de l'Armée, one of the largest museums in the world on the history of weapons and war from prehistoric
times to the present day.

Where: Esplanade des Invalides. Metro: La Tour Mauburg (L8), Varenne (L13)

Grand Palais

Petit Palais and Pont Alexandre A very interesting complex of buildings built for the World's fair of 1900, they are a real paean to Art Nouveau.
The Petit Palais is now home to the Beaux Arts museum of Paris; the Grand Palais, with its glass and metal structure is especially charming at
night when lit with lights it shows all of its lightness and elegance. To the side of the buildings is the prettiest bridge in Paris, an Art
Nouveau structure with single 107 meter span. The bridge was built in honor of Russian Czar Alexander III, following the 1896 French-Russian alliance.

Where: Avenue W. Churchill. Metro: Concorde

Conciergerie

This came about around 1300 as part of the royal palace, but was used as a prison from 1391 to 1914. Famous people were imprisoned in its cells,
including Queen Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution. A tour of the building will let you see the cells, torture rooms and the
magnificent Gothic hall of the royal guards: it could house up to 2000 people.

Where: Quai de l'Horloge. Metro: Cité

Hours: March-October 9:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. November- February 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Opera Garnier

This was opened in 1875 as Paris' opera theater. It was designed by Charles Garnier and is now the national ballet center. The marble staircase and
interior ornately dressed in red velvet and golden stucco work are worth seeing; the ceiling was frescoed by Chagall. You should see the museum annex
which contains original opera scores and a complete series of mementos of artists who performed on the most famous stage in the world.

Where: Place de l'Opera. Metro: Opera

Louxembourg Palace (Palais de Louxembourg)

A beautiful palace built in 1631 for Marie de Medicis modelled after the Pitti Palace in Florence. A royal residence until the end of the 1700's,
the palace was then used for different purposes, including a prison. It is currently home to the French senate and is surrounded by Jardin du Luxembourg,
a park popular with Parisians and tourists alike.

Where: Rue de Vaugirard. Metro: Odeon

Place des Vosges

A very charming square from the 17th century, noted as being one of the most beautiful in the world due its perfect symmetry and the elegance of the
buildings which flank it. Many famous figures have lived here including Moliere, Richelieu and Victor Hugo, whose home (no. 6) is now a museum dedicated to the writer. Hotel de Sully, a prestigious 1630 building is located near the square and worth seeing. The square and its surroundings are filled with charming cafes and antique shops.

Where: Marais Quarter. Metro: Bastille

Père Lachaise Cemetery

Cemetery This is the most well-known and most visited cemeterys in Paris, as well as being one of the biggest green areas of the capital with its 44 hectares and
approximately 70,000 graves. It was designed at the beginning of the 1800's in English style as a large cemetery. You can see all types of funerary
architecture here: Gothic, Classical or Empire tombs. However its fame is due to the famous figures buried here, some of the more famous include Balzac, Proust,
Oscar Wilde, Chopin, Haussmann, Simone Signoret, Yves Montand, Edith Piaf and Jim Morrison.

Where: 16, Rue du Repos. Metro: L2/L3 Père Lachaise

Hours: November-March 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; April-October 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

*  To try

* Eating and Drinking

French cuisine is the celebrated in the world due to its variety and the imagination used to prepare its dishes. Paris is a place where you can taste haute cuisine
prepared by the best chefs at top restaurants, explore the regional cuisine of all of France or even venture into French avant-garde cuisine.

A normal French menu has three courses: hors d'oeuvres, the plat (entree) and cheeses to finish. French cuisine is too detailed to try and describe it in
just a few lines, so we'll just offer a few tips so that you can enjoy a traditional Parisian brasserie.

The most popular hors d'oeuvres are salad with goat cheese or cubes of bacon, omelettes with herbs or various soups, like soupe a l'oignon
(French onion soup) and potage parisien (soup with potatoes and leeks).

The entree is meat or fish, always served with vegetables or rice, and the tasty sauces which French cuisine is famous for. Paris presents some excellent dishes
like entrecot bercy (entrecot with white wine sauce), chateaubriand, andouilettes (grilled tripe sausages), and the delicate canard à l'orange (duck with orange sauce) or jambon à la Porte Maillot (ham cooked with a long, complex preparation).

The cheeses are a real delight, France has over a hundred, but the best known are camembert, brie, roquefort and strong flavored herb cheeses, without
forgetting the excellent goat cheeses.

Desserts are a joy for the palate and some are famous throughout the world: chocolate St Honoré, crème caramel, crepes flambées and many more.

The amount of restaurants is without limits: you can choose from a traditional or trendy restaurant or be tempted by the flavour of an old-fashioned bistro.
Brasseries are valid alternatives. They are traditional taverns which offer the more common dishes of French cuisine served with beer or wine. Since Paris is
an international city, it is home to a wide range of foreign restaurants, primarily Asian and Middle Eastern. Don't leave without visiting one of the traditional
cafes which have greatly contributed to making Paris famous throughout the world and are excellent for breakfast or a snack.
 
* Shopping

Avenue Montaigne and Rue Faubourg St Honore

are perfectfor any woman: all of the best designers are situated in this area. Prestigious boutiques and high class ateliers, it is worth a visit just for
window shopping to look at the high fashion garments, jewelry and fabrics displayed as if they were in a museum. Dior, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, among others,
have their shops here.

Champs Elysée

One long (almost 2 km) showcase for top international brands: Citroen, Peugeot, Walt Disney, Virgin, Louis Vuitton and Club Med, all the best brands compete for
exposure in this exclusive and very famous location.

The Grand Boulevards

On the right bank of the Seine is the biggest shopping area of Paris, where the biggest international chains and department stores are situated. Absolutely not to
be missed: Gallerie Lafayette, a real joy for the eyes and Printemps, the fashion and cosmetics temple, both on Boulevard Haussmann. La Samaritaine, one of the
oldest department stores in Paris, is situated on Rue de Rivoli. One of the most interesting things in this area are the Passages: shopping centers which since
1800 have represented the essence of Parisian life. Passage Vero-Dodat, paradise of luxury and splendor, Gallerie Vivienne, with impressive Neoclassical arches
and stained glass and the older Passage des Panoramas, opened to the public in 1800. Traditional antique and book shops along with the original boutiques still
abound in the passages.

Les Halles and Rue de Turbigo

Are full of all types of shops, especially fashion for the younger set, try the Forum Des Halles department store, very popular with Parisians. The area
around the Pompidou is excellent for crafts and souvenirs.

Ile St Louis and the Marais

(around Place des Vosges) are excellent areas for art galleries, antique shops and boutiques of emerging designers. Don't miss the Viaduc des Arts a
little further on, behind the Opera de Paris Bastille: under the restored arches of a former railway viaduct scores of shops and workshops have been created
which produce and sell all types of crafts.

If you are looking for books or art objects which may or may not be rare, you'll have to go to the Left Bank, in the area between Blvd Saint Germain and
Jardin du Luxembourg. Once the haunt of intellectuals, it is now an area filled with book stores and antique shops.

Street Markets

Paris has many street markets of all types, Parisians love to shop at them, you'll find plenty to choose from: flower markets, art and antique markets, covered
food markets and much more. Here is an interesting selection.

Porte de Vanves flea market

In the heart of Paris 350 booths selling furniture, paintings, fabric, glass items, vintage jewelry, military mementos, photos, music and bric-a-brac. Every weekend.

Av. Georges Lafenestre and Av. Marc Sangnier. Metro: L13 Porte de Vanves

Paris Saint Ouen flea market

The largest flea market in Paris, it is a real shopping city which stretches over a huge area and contains various specialized markets. Excellent deals are guaranteed. Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Metro: L4 Porte de Clignancourt

Marche Parisien de la Creation

An original market of artists who sell their works here: paintings, sculptures, jewelry, ceramics and other crafts. Every Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

In Montparnasse between Rue du Départ and Rue de la Gaîté. Metro: L6 Edgar Quinet.
 
•To experience

•Events

Agricultural Trade Show, in February.

This trade show is an institution in France at the Porte. It presents livestock and crops from all regions of France.

Foire du throne, in May

A great fair with very old origins. A huge amusement park is set up for two months at Pelouse de Reuilly. Metro: L8, Porte Dorée or Liberté.

France Tennis Open, in May and June

One of the most famous tennis tournaments in the world at the legendary Roland-Garros tennis complex.

Aeronautics Show, in June, only odd years

This is the biggest European event dedicated to civilian and military aeronautics. In addition to the aircraft on display, there is a full program of air shows.
Where: Le Bourget airport (RER B Le Bourget).

Street Music Festival, in June

Vast street music festival. The streets and squares of the city are alive for a day with hundreds of musicians.

Paris Jazz Festival, June and July

Free concerts every weekend in Parc Floral de Paris. Metro: L1 Château de Vincennes

Bastille Day, 14 July

The French national holiday with military parades, fireworks and celebrations throughout the city.

Finish Line of Tour de France, end of July

The finish line of the most celebrated bike race in the world on Champs Elysée is a major happening for all Parisians.

Grand Fetes de Nuit

From August to September, in Versailles. A great performance of sounds and lights with the palace of Versailles in the background.

Paris Plage, July-August

Paris Plage is a three km long artificial beach which is set up every summer on the right bank of the Seine and has sand, palm trees, chairs and beach umbrellas.
The beach is the setting for many concerts and performances.

White Night, in October

Museums, villas, libraries, movie theaters, art galleries, shops and attractions are open all night to the joy of Parisians and visitors alike.

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe horse race, in October

Each year the Longchamp race track presents the most important race on France's horse racing calendar, as well as being a venue for the prestigious World Series.
Metro L10 Porte d'Auteuil + shuttle bus.

•Entertainment and Nightlife

Paris is one of Europe's most trendy cities, it is in constant motion and knows how to offer visitors countless ways to have fun, enjoying themselves
and being thrilled - no matter whether during the day or at night. To keep up to date on exhibits, theaters, performances, entertainment and concerts, consult
Pariscope and l'Officiel des Spectacles (www.offi.fr), available at newsstands.

Tickets for events can be bought at box offices at Fnac or Virgin Megastore. Half price tickets for same day performances can be bought at the box offices
in Place de la Madeleine (metro: Madeleine) or under Tour de Montparnasse (metro: Montparnasse).

During the day, there are many sights which can meet all needs: you can enjoy major sports events at Palais d'Omnisport de Bercy, in winter ice skate on the
square of Hôtel de Ville and in summer roller skate in Champ de Mars in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, and learning while having fun is the key at Cité des Sciences.
Essential if you are traveling with your children.

Paris by night is full of life. One of the most lively scenes in Europe with hundreds of clubs, discos, dj bars, jazz clubs and all types of concerts.
The buildings on Champs Elysée are one long line of theaters, movie theaters and museums which stay open late. Montparnasse is one of the best places to
enjoy the early part of the evening, with its many restaurants and spots for a cocktail. Pigalle has always been Paris' night spot par excellence with the
city's most famous discos, cabarets and jazz clubs. Les Halles is a very hsppening area, both during the day and late at night. Rue de Faubourg St Antoine is
another happening place for Parisian nightlife.

Movies:

There is plenty to choose from, Champs Elysée has the highest concentration of movie theaters. Two enormous ones are located near the Opera: Grand Rex,
with its Art Nouveau facade and Max Linder Panorama (metro: L8/L9 Bonne Nouvelle). For a real thrill in 3D don't miss round screen of Géode, at the Cité des Sciences.

Theaters:

Champs Elysée houses the highest concentration of theaters, but there are more than a hundred scattered around Paris. Two great institutions are Opera Garnier,
which hosts major ballet companies and operas and Opera Bastille, dedicated to more modern productions.

Cabarets:

there are many of these in Paris; the magical atmosphere of Pigalle is still alive with its historic names: Moulin Rouge, Lido, Folies Bergères and La
Nouvelle Eve. Even the ultra hot ambiance of Crazy Horse still attracts thousands of spectators.