16 October 2007 Paris
As the Lourve was closed on Tuesdays, we decided to make this the attraction day, then tomorrow we can go explore the Lourve. Having being forewarned of the horrible queues to go up the Eiffel Tower, we decided that we would try going up at night, but I still wanted to take daytime photos of the Eiffel and so we headed there in the morning.
It was breathtaking to see the Eiffel Tower for the first time, and up close. Look at the photos and you can probably see why…
The interesting thing is that Paris was hosting the World Rugby Cup during this period, so there was a giant rugby ball hanging right in the middle of the tower, and even the All Blacks had their own rugby ball on the ground. And yes, Paris loves Les Blus (even though by the time we arrived, Paris was already kicked out of the competition).
We headed to Hotel Les Invalides just to see what it’s like and take some pictures. The Napoleon’s Tomb really looked spectacular from the outside, especially the Dome.
Entrance of Les Invalides
Napoleon's Tomb
We wanted to squeeze some time to tour the Musee d’Orsay, a museum that was converted from a railway station, but by the time we got there, it was late, and we were pretty put off by the queues, so we left to find lunch.
Beef Steak with Fettuccine, Chicken Salad
Next on the itinerary was a stroll down the Champs Elysees, past the Petit and Grand Palais, towards the Arc de Triomphe. The sun was out, the weather was lovely (about 22degC) and we took lovely pictures.
Grand Palais
Entrance to Petit Palais
Champs Elysees is a great place to shop. And I found Sephora there! Girls can really go crazy in that store, lotsa lovely, tempting perfumes and cosmetics! Had to practice a lot of self restraint, but managed to get gifts for the family as well as the girls too!
Super sleek car in the Citroen Showroom
Disneyland Paris was not on our itinerary cos we didn't want to hear Mickey Mouse and friends in French, but I still took a picture outside the Disney store
The Arc de Triomphe is situated right in the middle of a “star”, 6 streets radiate outwards from it, so although it was a pretty long walk scaling the monument, we were rewarded with breathtaking views. But if you are just there for some history, do you’ll be much better off joining the rest of the crowd downstairs admiring the Arc and it’s architecture and sculptures. While we were there, plenty of military personnel gathered around for some ceremony, and it was very interesting to see their decorative ranks, the beanie shaped berets, and the numerous old men who could be war veterans.
It was finally time for us to go up the Eiffel Tower. I was pretty tired by then wearing my cool boots that unfortunately weren’t very suited for long spells of walking but it’s the Eiffel Tower! But the queues were absolutely horrible, I think we spent a grand total of 2 hours queuing for the tickets and lifts up and down the Eiffel. There was a long queue to visit the ladies as well, and I was pretty disappointed with the ang mohs, as there was this old and frail lady queuing up to go to the ladies (the handicapped toilet was out of use), but not one of them let her go first, choosing instead to look the other way. That aside, it was really a once in the lifetime experience to ascend the Eiffel Tower, we even managed to see the sunset which was gorgeous.
Views from the Eiffel
Can you see the All Blacks Rugby ball in the middle?
The giant screen on the Tower plays highlights from the Rugby World Cup 2007.
By then, we were absolutely bushed, so we headed back to our hostel, grabbed a kebab on rice on our way back and retired early.
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