(T&S) Paris! The time has now come to start ticking off some Paris sights and given that we have a few days here we decided that today would be done on foot. After a full breakfast it was off toward the Arc de Triumph and thankfully access is gained by going under the road, it is the craziest roundabout we've ever seen! So crazy in fact that car insurance becomes invalid whilst on it!!! We then headed up the 240steps to admire it from the top; wow what a view, you can see all across Paris.
(T) From the top we admired the Champs-Élysées and imagined the sight of the Tour de France riders flying up and down it, then once we'd found our beacon (the Tower) we headed towards it.
We were meeting Sarah's friend Stella for a coffee (Yes, Sarah met a workmate for coffee in Paris, small world indeed!) but with 40mins up our sleeve we grabbed some lunch and lay back on the grass under the Eiffel Tower.......tough day so far......While waiting, Sarah also took the opportunity to take a ride on the "merry go round" in the shadows of the tower, she couldn't take the smile off her face.
After having coffee with Stela we carried on walking down the river towards Notre Dame, taking in a quick look at the exterior of the Louvre on the way ( don't worry we are going in tomorrow ). Certainly a longer walk than we thought but well worth it as there are so many things to see along the way.
We took dinner tonight in the Latin Quarter of Paris, we'd worked up a fair appetite after a full day on the feet and were looking forward to a relaxing meal. An entree was definitely required tonight so we opted for the good old French favourite and shared 6 snails which were absolutely delicious and left us wanting more. After crepes for dessert we worked it all off by walking back along the river.
We returned to the Tower to take it in at night and headed up to the second level for a better view of Paris, the top was closed off for the night by the time we arrived due to the huge numbers going through. There was still a 45min delay for those who'd already paid for the top.
While being on the Tower is a fantastic feeling, I have to say that the true magic of the Eiffel Tower is best appreciated from a small distance where you can take in the entire scene. It also means you're a little further away from those bloody gypsies!
After 12hrs out an about by foot we realised that the final push home was a bad idea ( it was now nearing midnight ) so we grabbed a cab and happily parted with the $12 euro to end a full day!