This is going to be a very LONG post. Sorry about that!

Thursday, March 26th, was our biggest day in Paris. We had tickets to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, something neither of us had ever previously done. We decided to visit the iconic site at 7:00 PM and have champagne at the top. That decision cost us a lot of money, but I think it was worth it for that one time. I doubt we’ll bother going up to the top of the tower again, but I’m glad we did it that one time, especially since it was a beautiful evening.

But what did we do before we went to the tower? Well, we did lots of walking, taking pictures, and people watching. All told, we racked up about six miles on that day, which for me, is quite an accomplishment.

We started off Thursday with breakfast at the hotel. Bill had avocado toast with a cappuccino and orange juice. I had a continental breakfast, with bread, butter, jam, orange juice, poached eggs, and delicious hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was especially interesting, as I had it each of the four mornings we were at the hotel, and each time, it was served differently. Below is the cup that seemed the most conventional to me. It was very good. The guy who waited on us had to confirm that I could get poached eggs with a continental breakfast. I guess they require more work than scrambled, boiled, or fried eggs.

After we ate, we started our long walk into the city center. I paused somewhat frequently to take pictures and stretch my hips and back, which ache a lot these days. It was a crisp, sunny morning, and just slightly too cold for the v-neck wool sweater I was wearing under my bigger “coatigan”.

As we got closer to downtown, we came across Parc Monceau, a gorgeous spot that I read is a sort of mirror image of the Jardin du Luxembourg in northern Paris.” It’s interesting we went there, since our hotel was close to the Jardin du Luxembourg when we visited Paris in May 2009.

I wish we’d spent more time visiting the Parc Monceau. It was absolutely gorgeous. And a little girl drew our attention to it by blowing bubbles as she crossed the street. I wish I’d gotten a few more photos of this magical place… totally free to enjoy, and with lots of benches for weary backs. If anything, I wanted more photos of the beautiful flowers and landmarks. Parc Monceau is “unusual” in Paris, because it’s more of an informal English style garden, rather than the more formal French style. Just looking at these photos make me want to find a garden and explore it today.

But the chilly weather insisted that we keep walking, because sitting down, even in the sun, was a bit too cold. Besides, there was a lot more to see. So we kept walking until, as we were about to pass through the gates of the park, Bill looked up and noticed a familiar arc…

Lots of people were taking photos of the majestic Arc du Triomphe, which loomed imposingly across the street. We crossed over, soon finding ourselves on the Champs-Élysées, a very famous shopping boulevard in Paris… We cut down another street, where we passed the American Cathedral in Paris and The Crazy Horse, a legendary cabaret.

After we crossed a major road, I looked to my left and noticed we were passing the Bateaux Mouches dock. Even though we took a river cruise when we visited Paris in 2009, it seemed like a good thing to do before lunchtime. We could get out of the chill by sitting inside the boat, while taking in views of the major Parisian sites from the Seine. It was also especially handy, because there was a restroom at the dock, and on the vessel itself. It also happened to be a great spot for an Eiffel Tower pic.

So we bought a ticket for 17 euros… it was a strictly no frills cruise. And as we waited for our 11:30 AM departure, we were suddenly joined by about a hundred teenagers! They descended on the dock like the famous anchovies from the first episode of Spongebob Squarepants. I wrote more about this experience on the day after it happened. You can follow the link to my main blog to read what I wrote then.

For those who don’t want to click the link… I remember sitting there at the dock, as dozens of teens crowded in. I was sitting next to an automatic arm with a boxing glove on the end of it.

Everybody was looking at the boat that was nearest to where we were waiting. I figured that was the one we’d be boarding, and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find a good spot that allowed views, while not forcing me to be out in the cold. I looked at all the teens who had congregated. Quite a few of the girls were dressed stylishly, but not for comfort or practicality, as they walked around Paris. Some had on short, tight mini skirts, lacy tights, and high heels. I was dressed more appropriately, but I’m old and cranky, and I don’t like to be chilled.

So I was feeling a bit doomed, but then I noticed an annoyed looking man standing near the boxing glove. He was obviously an official, and he was trying to get the teens’ attention. He saw me looking at him and invited me to board… and it was a different boat, beyond the boxing gloved automatic arm I’d been staring at as the teens descended on us.

I jumped up, and was the first to board the boat. We took an inside seat at the rear, near the bathrooms and a vending machine that sold candy, water, and soft drinks. We didn’t move from our spots. I didn’t have to worry, anyway. The boat was huge, so there was lots of room, and it was kind of fun to listen to the kids shrieking when we went under the many Parisian bridges.

The only unfortunate thing was that I wasn’t in the best spot for picture taking. At one point, two guys stood outside our window and smoked. One of them noticed me scowling at him when he dropped his butt on the floor. He stomped on it again and walked away, but left the smoldering trash on the boat, where I think it eventually rolled off into the river. 🤬

We used a different cruise company when we did our boat ride in 2009. It was very similar, and had the same “guide” that came on over a loudspeaker that we couldn’t really hear very well. But it was okay. We were just there to kill an hour and experience something different. I enjoyed the cruise, even if I wish it had been a bit warmer outside. There are MANY boat cruise companies in Paris, and they offer a variety of experiences, so this is an activity I would happily do again and again.

Maybe next time, we’ll do a champagne cruise. That might help us avoid huge groups of high school kids… although in fairness to them, they were mostly pretty well behaved. A lot of them were wearing jackets that indicated an affiliation with the International Rotary Club. My dad used to be a member of Rotary. I also enjoyed the kids who were singing and playing songs that were popular when I was 12! One guy was singing Wham’s “Careless Whisper” (and quite well, I might add). Another was playing “Down Under” by Men at Work.

After we got off the boat, it was time for lunch. We started walking on the Left Bank of the Seine. I was looking for a charming place, not too crowded, where we might have some lovely food. I was starting to get a little frustrated until we turned on a street with a wonderful view of the Eiffel Tower. As we got closer, I noticed a couple of places that looked like they might fit the bill nicely. I almost went into a French place, but decided I didn’t like the look of their tables and chairs. I thought they’d be uncomfortably small.

But then I turned down another street, where people were taking pictures. To my right, there was an Italian place. It wasn’t packed with people. And when we went inside, we were warmly greeted by a lady who invited us to sit down at a two top near a rather crotchety looking elderly French couple. They were finishing up their desserts. Il Sorrentino turned out to be an excellent lunch choice for us, side eyes notwithstanding…

We started out with focaccia, some of the best I’ve ever had. Bill ordered sparkling water and a lovely Brolio Chianti Classico from Italy. Then, for our main courses, I had spinach cannelloni gratinati, while Bill went for ravioli stuffed with chicken on pecorino cheese and black truffle. It was absolutely delicious!

Then, for dessert, I had lemon creme brulee, which was served in a half of a lemon. Bill had a strawberry dessert served in a cookie crust with pistachio sauce. We had a round of espresso and, as we were paying the bill, enjoyed a digestive of limoncello.

The whole time we were dining, I noticed a bunch of people who appeared to be v-loggers outside, talking into cameras. A trio of girls, who looked like they were about sixteen or seventeen years old, were taking turns posing for the camera. One of the girls seemed to be particularly engaging. She had long, red, curly hair, and I noticed she was wearing a very stylish jacket. I would not be surprised if the girls had dreams of being models. However, although they were very pretty, they seemed a bit too short. But what do I know? They did look like they were having fun.

We closed down Il Sorrentino, and were the last ones to leave before they enjoyed a pause after the lunch rush. We continued walking toward the Eiffel Tower, which we hadn’t seen since 2009. I remember on that trip, I had been able to just walk under the tower without having to go through security. Now, they’ve got the area fenced off, and if you want to go in, you have to be screened. It is free to walk around the Eiffel Tower, though, and they have public toilets that are free of charge to use. We didn’t go in there until it was time for our visit. Instead, we did some people watching in the park. I noticed more people getting photos with the Eiffel Tower in the background. One girl was a dancer doing jetes while another woman took photos.

Later in the afternoon, we decided to look for a bar to enjoy a drink before we finally took our turn going up the tower. I couldn’t find exactly what we were looking for, but we did find a very busy restaurant called Brasserie de la Tour Eiffel, that served authentic French food– frogs legs, escargot, charcuterie, etcetera.

Of course we didn’t want to eat, but we were down for a couple of beers… I got a kick out of our very professional waiter, Philippe, who immediately gave us tokens for the toilet! This is not a spot where I’d want to have dinner, as it was very chaotic and touristy. However, it served fine as a place to enjoy drinks and people watch. And we lucked into having a great waiter, who wasn’t stereotypically rude or arrogant. It was fun watching people eat very stereotypically French cuisine, and I appreciated their selection of draft beers.

Below, outside the barrier to the tower… more people were dancing for cameras, and there were lots of Africans selling Eiffel Tower souvenirs. Or… I assume they were Africans. They looked the part.

Finally, it was time to head over to the Eiffel Tower and experience it for the first time. Since we already had tickets, we were able to get in a somewhat shorter line than those who still had to buy them. I believe it’s possible to go to the first floor of the tower, using the steps, without buying a ticket. We didn’t even visit the first floor, which is too bad. Below are a few 2009 era photos… Again, we didn’t go up the tower during that visit, because of the lines. But at that time, there wasn’t a barrier around the tower.

We crammed into an elevator, which took us to the second floor. I was immediately reminded of National Lampoon’s European Vacation and glad I wasn’t wearing a beret. I took many pictures of the magnificent evening views…

Then we found our way to the elevator to the top, crammed in, and up we went… Bill had neglected to print the last page of the tickets he bought, which was where the scanner code for the champagne was. Fortunately, he had it on his phone. Below are some photos at the top of the tower. I think the second floor may be better for photography, since you aren’t going to be behind a plastic barrier. But it was fun to be up there and get a view of Paris as evening set upon the city.

Our journey back to the second floor was uneventful. But then we got on the elevator to the ground floor, and that’s when things got especially entertaining.

A young woman with long brown hair and a beautifully made up face was running the elevator. She commanded that we all crowd in to the elevator together, and seemed a bit absent minded as she made an announcement that came out staticky. She apologized, and then said she’d be stopping on the first floor, for those who wanted to visit there.

Maybe one or two people got off, and she let one couple get on…. I’m not sure why, because she had told those waiting, that there was no room on the elevator for any more people, and they needed to go up a level. Even though she had clearly made that statement, one gentleman and his wife still tried to board.

The elevator operator then said, “I told you there is no room! Why do you not listen to me?! Go up a level, and my colleagues will take care of you!”

Everyone on the elevator was dying laughing at this lady, who was reprimanding the guy trying to board her elevator. She was so completely unabashed, telling off those folks who hadn’t paid her any mind. I happened to be standing next to her, and saw a peculiar mixture of amusement and befuddlement on her pretty face, and she fearlessly addressed the tourists. It was absolutely hilarious, and really capped off the experience for us!

Once we were finished with the tower, we decided it was time to go back to the hotel. But instead of walking, we took a taxi… Thank God for that! I accidentally connected the seatbelt to the wrong buckle, though, so the alarm was going off… and the taxi driver gently scolded me. Luckily, Bill was able to help me find the right buckle in the dark.

One last look at the majestic Eiffel Tower! I definitely recommend going at nighttime, if the weather permits.

So, now, this finally brings me to the next installment, which I will probably post tomorrow. Have a good Easter! We will be going out to lunch at Villa im Tal!

Below are some more Paris photos from 2009… We missed most of these spots on this trip. Paris is a VAST city. You could spend a week there and not see it all.