Two Tourists in Paris

Our first full day in Paris was a busy one! After doing some research on the various types of metro/subway passes, we opted to buy 1-day all-inclusive passes. It got us everywhere we needed, starting with the Eiffel Tower.

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We weren’t able to pre-buy passes to the Eiffel Tower because our visit date was too close after we switched our travel dates. It worked out just fine, though. Tim had the crazy idea of climbing the stairs to the second deck (it’s only 7 Euro for the stairs option). So we did…all 669 of them. Works the booty, right? We didn’t go up to the very top, though. I went to the top on my last trip and the views are the same…you just have to pay extra for the third deck and wait in line because there’s only one elevator that travels between the second and third deck. So instead we walked the perimeter of the second deck a couple of times and took pictures before we headed back down (using the elevator).

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After leaving the Eiffel Tower, we stopped in at the Chez Ribe Cafe for brunch. It was alright…not terrific, but not horrible. It was close to the Tower and on our way to the metro for our next stop… the Arc de Triumph. There’s a pedestrian tunnel to get under the crazy street around the Arc so you can walk around the actual circle.

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We walked down the Champs-Elysées (avoiding the shopping) and headed to the metro to take us to Notre Dame. We hung out in front of the church for a bit – people watching was pretty great – before walking along the Seine River. The normal Love Lock bridge (Pont de Arts) had been cleared of locks, but there was a make-shift one on the railings around the Statue équestre d’Henri IV not terribly far from it.

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That evening we went to Le Petite Pontoise for dinner. It was delicious! The restaurant received some restaurant awards, but when we were there, there were only (what seemed like) American families. Maybe we all had the same source for finding good food.

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The night ended with a trip back to the Eiffel Tower to see it lit up at night. It was very appropriately colored like the French flag. Quite beautiful really.

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-m.