Bonjour Paris!
Trip Start
Aug 08, 2010
1
5
11
Trip End
Oct 13, 2010
Paris, Île-de-France, France
Monday, August 9, 2010
First stop: obviously the Eiffel Tower! We had already glanced at the giant tower the day before during our walk to the station, but dad and sister were still starving for some real good shots of it. We approached the Tower from the South, walking through Champ the Mars and stopping for lunch and some great photos. I had already warned them, that we must climb the stairs to the 2nd floor and then get on the elevator to the 3rd. I not only wanted to exercise, but also skip the long queue for the elevator tickets. The first time I was in Paris I climbed the stairs to the 2nd floor but did not go further. Back then, I perfectly remember reaching the 2nd floor and thinking to myself that climbing to the 4th floor of my own building used to tire me more than getting to the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower did. Surely, adrenaline played an important role in that day. Unfortunately, this time around, that didn't happen. But we still managed to quickly reach the 1st and 2nd floor, where we took a few photos and admired the view. The elevator to the 3rd floor is frightenly fast and a funny experience. And the view is, of course, amazing.
After the Tower, we took the silly decision of walking from there to the Île de la Cité so that we could also take a good look at the Seine. In theory it's a good idea, but it's not a short walk like we supposed. I don't regret the decision, but my sister has a different point of view... Of course our main purpose was to visit Notre Dame. The entrance is free, and consequently it's very crowdy. It was actually a bit surreal, because there as a mass going on regardless of the noise in the church. And believe me, it was pretty noisy... that was a brave priest. After Notre Dame, we decided to buy some dinner and wonder around the small island. We were very lucky to find Square du Vert Galant, where there is a very parisien small park, a great place to have dinner while enjoying the last rays of sun. I have to admit that the trip would have been worth it just for that moment.
When we left the island it was already dark, so we decided to slowly walk to the hotel. Once again, we got lucky and found a really nice street close to Boulevard Saint-Michel and Boulevard Saint-Germain with some cool restaurants and souvenir shops. It took us half an hout to get to the hotel, but we made it there. After that, all I can remember is brushing my teeth and going to bed.
