Eiffel Tower Day!
We knew it would be busy. We were told, and tried, to buy tickets online. But the first availability was almost four weeks away. So we got up early, hopped two metro trains over, and got in line 45 minutes before ticketing opened.
And all was fine. The signage and directions were a bit lacking, but we eventually found ourselves past initial security and waiting for ticketing. Once the window opened, we were through security point number two and waiting for one of the famous double decker elevators not 15 minutes later. We quickly changed to the second elevator to take us to the top, knowing it would only get more crowded.
And that second elevator is fun. I’ve been in plenty of tall buildings before, but never one so open and minimal surrounding you. Heights normally don’t affect me much, but this was a very interesting experience. To be clear: absolutely worth it. Especially when we stepped out at the top.
All of a sudden you realize how big this thing is, and how few skyscrapers there really are in one of the worlds biggest cities. Kilometer after kilometer of winding streets bellow head off in every direction, dotted by wonderful landmarks. And we had luckily picked a gorgeous day weather wise to make the trip.
After sufficient tourist photo taking, we went back down to the “second” floor where it was less crowded and we could spend more time poking around. Being closer to the ground out everything on a surprisingly different scale, and so we had to take just as many photos.
We descended to the “first” floor via stairs and grabbed a few more photos. The open center allowed for some great admiring of the structure, including walking across the more recently added glass floors. Stomachs thoroughly turned, we took the stairs back down to solid ground and had our leave.
Heading across the Seine, we went to our first of many museums on our list, Musee l’homme. Exploring humanities past, both scientifically and culturally, it takes an incredible journey through where we came from, where we are, and a brief look of where we might end up. There isn’t a lot of English, so bone up before your visit, but it’s very worth it. Incredibly thought provoking, and wonderful artifacts on display.
Starving, we headed for the champs elysee in search of food. Swinging by the Arc de Triumph, we sought out a small cafe and grabbed some food. Abby also found out what 100 cl of beer looks like. I didn’t complain, the metric system is great!
We hit up a few stores along the way, people and car watching the whole time. Several blocks of gazing and shopping later, we hopped the Metro back home to freshen up before dinner.
We stayed local for dinner, having eyed a place the night before while researching. Not wanting to miss out, we wandered down a bit earlier than necessary, and grabbed a table at Le Vache et Le Cuisiner. Dinner was incredible.
Ratatouille that was like vegetable pudding. Perfectly poached eggs with mushrooms. Quail fillets with amazing fingerling potatoes. Perfectly cooked fish that fell off the bone. I’m hungry writing this all over again. Oh and we finished with great creme brûlée and plum sorbet.
What a day. We slept very well.
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