Day 35 - Paris from the ground and above
As we had not had a chance to climb the tower and also wanted to take photos during the day, at dusk and at night we decided to go up the Eiffel Tower twice. In the morning we purchased tickets to climb to level 2 of the tower and then take the lift to the top and then return later that night to watch Paris turn from daylight to night and witness the lights of Paris.
Clearly the trip, the long days and late nights are catching up with us all as we struggled out of bed around 9.00am, had a late, long breakfast and finally made it to the Eiffel Tower around 11.00am. We proceeded directly to the line for the stair climb, purchased the tickets and commenced the ascent. This is a decent climb and both the calves and thighs were burning by the time we hit the first level viewing area so we took a break and checked out some of the sights of Paris before again hitting the steps and conquering the steps between level 1 and level 2. You do not need to have a great level of fitness to do the climb as you can do it at a leisurely pace however Zac did not quite comprehend leisurely so I was left chasing him up the stairs. It was a great workout and we now have buns of steel.
Needless to say the effort was worth it as the view is simply breathtaking and you get a chance to see how big Paris and the outer suburbs are and also how beautiful the architecture is. It is also a photographer’s paradise and you could spend all day taking pictures and being creative. After taking some photo’s we then headed to the top level to check out the view. It was amazing and one thing you notice when attempting to take photos is how much the tower moves. I was using my monopod and just looking through the view finder you could see the focus points in the camera moving back and forth (and no, it was not my unsteady hands...). The extra bonus on level 3 that Jacq found was a champagne bar so she had to indulge (even if it cost 15€).
After taking in all the views, we then took the lift back to level 2 and then the race was on to see who could get to the bottom first. Again, the little energiser bunny with his light frame and quick legs was very hard to keep up with as he bounced down the stairs.
Climbing the tower had left us hungry and thirsty so we headed to one of the cafe’s that Jacq had identified as making good coffee called Cafe Malongo. Certainly the coffee was better than what we had previously experienced however the one thing we have come to realise is how spoilt we are in Melbourne when it comes to good coffee and we will be making a v-line direct to Gloria Jeans when we return for a decent coffee. After the coffee we found a quaint creperie located on one of the side alleys and sat down to genuine French crepes and they did not disappoint. It was also the first restaurant/cafe where the serving staff did not speak English so our French was well and truly tested. We must have done okay as the food we received was what was ordered. After lunch we checked out some of the little side streets and alley ways near the Notre Dame Cathedral near the St Michael Boulevarde and St Michael Fountaine. They were great little streets with an eclectic mix of street performers, bars, discreet strip houses, souvenir shops and the best ice cream shop in Paris (refer to photo below of Zac’s ice cream).
We then wandered around the Notre Dame Cathedral however did not go in as we were running out of time and had seen the inside of plenty of cathedrals by this stage. We know that it would have been magnificent inside however I think even we are experiencing culture and historical overload by this stage. After the Cathedral we made our way up the Avenue Champs des Elysees to take a view of the Arc de Triumph. It is a very impressive memorial and one that any city would be proud to have to acknowledge those that have given their life of their country over the ages.
Being satisfied that we had visited and taken in the Arc de Triumph it was back to the hotel room to rug up in readiness for the second ascent of the Eiffel Tower for the day only this time it was to be via the elevator. It was wonderful to be up the tower as day changed to night and all the lights of Paris turned on to light up the city, the iconic buildings and the sculptures. I made my way to a prime spot for photos and did not move for the 80 minutes that we were up there. From where I was located I could see the main city, the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triumph so I took photos as regular intervals to capture the changing light conditions.
After taking in the beauty that is Paris at night we then headed to the Trocadero area for dinner and then back to the room for showers and bed. We are not being picked up until 10.50am for our trip to the airport so we decided to set the alarm and pack in the morning as it was a big day and we were exhausted. I will hopefully let the pictures below speak for the day that we had. Tomorrow is our last morning in Paris before we head to our final international destination of Hong Kong (and more language challenges).
Clearly the trip, the long days and late nights are catching up with us all as we struggled out of bed around 9.00am, had a late, long breakfast and finally made it to the Eiffel Tower around 11.00am. We proceeded directly to the line for the stair climb, purchased the tickets and commenced the ascent. This is a decent climb and both the calves and thighs were burning by the time we hit the first level viewing area so we took a break and checked out some of the sights of Paris before again hitting the steps and conquering the steps between level 1 and level 2. You do not need to have a great level of fitness to do the climb as you can do it at a leisurely pace however Zac did not quite comprehend leisurely so I was left chasing him up the stairs. It was a great workout and we now have buns of steel.
Needless to say the effort was worth it as the view is simply breathtaking and you get a chance to see how big Paris and the outer suburbs are and also how beautiful the architecture is. It is also a photographer’s paradise and you could spend all day taking pictures and being creative. After taking some photo’s we then headed to the top level to check out the view. It was amazing and one thing you notice when attempting to take photos is how much the tower moves. I was using my monopod and just looking through the view finder you could see the focus points in the camera moving back and forth (and no, it was not my unsteady hands...). The extra bonus on level 3 that Jacq found was a champagne bar so she had to indulge (even if it cost 15€).
After taking in all the views, we then took the lift back to level 2 and then the race was on to see who could get to the bottom first. Again, the little energiser bunny with his light frame and quick legs was very hard to keep up with as he bounced down the stairs.
Climbing the tower had left us hungry and thirsty so we headed to one of the cafe’s that Jacq had identified as making good coffee called Cafe Malongo. Certainly the coffee was better than what we had previously experienced however the one thing we have come to realise is how spoilt we are in Melbourne when it comes to good coffee and we will be making a v-line direct to Gloria Jeans when we return for a decent coffee. After the coffee we found a quaint creperie located on one of the side alleys and sat down to genuine French crepes and they did not disappoint. It was also the first restaurant/cafe where the serving staff did not speak English so our French was well and truly tested. We must have done okay as the food we received was what was ordered. After lunch we checked out some of the little side streets and alley ways near the Notre Dame Cathedral near the St Michael Boulevarde and St Michael Fountaine. They were great little streets with an eclectic mix of street performers, bars, discreet strip houses, souvenir shops and the best ice cream shop in Paris (refer to photo below of Zac’s ice cream).
We then wandered around the Notre Dame Cathedral however did not go in as we were running out of time and had seen the inside of plenty of cathedrals by this stage. We know that it would have been magnificent inside however I think even we are experiencing culture and historical overload by this stage. After the Cathedral we made our way up the Avenue Champs des Elysees to take a view of the Arc de Triumph. It is a very impressive memorial and one that any city would be proud to have to acknowledge those that have given their life of their country over the ages.
Being satisfied that we had visited and taken in the Arc de Triumph it was back to the hotel room to rug up in readiness for the second ascent of the Eiffel Tower for the day only this time it was to be via the elevator. It was wonderful to be up the tower as day changed to night and all the lights of Paris turned on to light up the city, the iconic buildings and the sculptures. I made my way to a prime spot for photos and did not move for the 80 minutes that we were up there. From where I was located I could see the main city, the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triumph so I took photos as regular intervals to capture the changing light conditions.
After taking in the beauty that is Paris at night we then headed to the Trocadero area for dinner and then back to the room for showers and bed. We are not being picked up until 10.50am for our trip to the airport so we decided to set the alarm and pack in the morning as it was a big day and we were exhausted. I will hopefully let the pictures below speak for the day that we had. Tomorrow is our last morning in Paris before we head to our final international destination of Hong Kong (and more language challenges).
