The morning started relatively late (9am) with a wander from a nearby metro stop to the Eiffel Tower. Very pretty on approach!
Unfortunately, the up close climbing experience wasn’t so great! We had booked for lunch at 58 Tour Eiffel which is a restaurant on the 1st floor, this allows you to skip the line for the tickets (which was massive). That part was fab and we made it to the restaurant easily. The food was quite good although you were crammed in like sardines and they were trying to get service through pretty damn quick – about what I would expect really for a place like this. We had a fabulous view and the restaurant photographer took some lovely shots of us that u had printed out.
After lunch we tried to get the lift up to level 2. After endless laps trying to locate it, we asked the restaurant for help and got a shrug. Then we found what we thought was it and the lift operator said yes, go in…but the lift doors didn’t open. Went back down to find out why and he laughed and told us to take the stairs. Mmmmm.
There is 347 stairs from level 1 to level 2 of the Eiffel Tower. I know that now for a fact. I feel bad for the people with small children and in wheelchairs who would not have been able to manage stairs.
On level 2, the signs for the ticket machines were non existent so there was more wandering about until finally I could purchase summit tickets….then more lining up….but eventually we made it! Unlike 2012, there was no fog this time!
Our comments about the Eiffel Tower:
Mel – too many people, so much rubbish around and the pickpockets were prolific. Terrible staff service really off putting.
B says – give climbing it a miss and enjoy the wonderful view of it from other parts of the city.
After our tower adventure, we caught the metro to the nearest metro stop to the Catacombs for a brief rest (with French McFlurry’s) before our Catacombs tour. We booked in with Fat Tyre Tours based on my dads suggestion. Pretty glad we did as at 4pm on a drizzly November afternoon the line to get in was still around 3 hrs long!
percy’s first trip to the catacombs
No line for us though. We had an excellent 1.5hr guided tour through the winding, narrow corridors where the bones of 6 million people are buried around 35m below Paris.
lots of very narrow and spooky walkways
After a rest at the hotel, it was dinner time again. I think dinner time is my favourite time in Paris…so much good food. Tonight we went to Mollard and I ate escargot. In their shells! Here’s some actin shots of me attempting to conquer my fear of snails by eating them:
Mel versus snail – the epic battle
The food was very tasty and the wine came in an adorable baby wine bottle! Limited food pics tonight as I got distracted but B recommends the salmon and duck.
Mel
P.S. Two more sleeps until I’m an old lady!
P.P.S. Versailles tomorrow, looking forward to that. Hopefully the drizzling rain will abate for our visit.
Mel's Travel Blog 