Tour Eiffel at last

Friday turned out to be the day we finally went up into the Eiffel Tower instead of just looking at it.  We decided we would get up very early and be there before it opened to get to the head of the line.  In fact, we arrived soon after the opening and we were way back in the line.

But just like other lines we had encountered in Paris, it went very fast and we were in the elevator and on the first level in about 45 minutes.  And, of course, Paris is fantastic for people watching and we did not mind the wait.  We were puzzled by the people who were going up and down the line asking for signatures for some sort of petition.  Was it legitimate?  What could tourists have to sign that would mean anything?  Was it just a distraction so that pickpockets could grab your money?  Deciding that the last was a good possibility, we ignored their requests for attention.

At almost all of the tourists spots in Paris--and even in Versailles--you are warned of the presence of pickpockets.    In the Louvre, on the elevator in the Eiffel Tower, in the great halls of Versailles.  The interesting thing is that all of these places cost money to enter, so the pickpockets have to buy a ticket.  "You have to spend money to make money," said Ada.

The first level has a souvenir shop and a snack bar, which we visited later, but we immediately got on the second elevator to the top.  I have to say, that ride is a bit scary.  You can't believe you are going up that high and it looks like there is little protection for you on the lift.  But when you get off at the top, the payoff is spectacular.  There is really no other vantage point in Paris that is so beautiful.  It was definitely worth the wait.

And the screening does give you a sense of safety.

After the Tower, we were off to the place that is just about the opposite--anti-industrial, old-time Montmartre.  This was to be our only guided walk.  Approaching the place where we were to start, I got a little scared when I saw these steps, but I had taken the walk before and did not remember any large climbs.

While were were waiting, we saw this couple doing some Argentine dances for donations.

You really never know what you will see in Paris.

Our guide was Rochelle.

She was very nice, made sure we stopped in the shade where possible and walked really fast.

One of the first places were took note of was the building where Vincent Van Gogh lived for a while with his brother Theo. If you look at this building you will see one apartment with the shutters closed.  Apparently a while ago someone bought the apartment with the idea of turning it into a tourist attraction, but all he did was close the shutters and nothing has happened since.

This is where Ada, Meredith and I first became aware of a fellow on the tour who knew everything about everything and would finish Rochell's sentences before she had a chance to.  Why go on the tour? I wondered.  He was very annoying.  He especially knew everything about pop legend Dalida, whose home was on the tour.  Apparently his uncle had worked with her.  So we had to hear a long story about their collaboration, when really we didn't care about Dalida to begin with.  He didn't ruin the tour, just made it not quite as pleasant as it could have been.

Here is the one of the windmills we saw on the way, but surprisingly we never passed the Moulin Rouge (red windmill).

Some of the streets were just exquisite.

Just around the corner from here we had to make a little detour because a crew was filming something called Divorce: French Style.  I don't know if that was a movie or a TV show but I can tell you that the main actor was tres handsome.

It's amazing how high up you are in Montmartre.  Here you get a bit of perspective.

The tour ended at Sacre Cour, the cathedral that can be seen from many vantage points in Paris.

There is also an art market nearby.  We all sat down for a glass of wine and a newly married couple came through looking like they did not want to be there.  They were both about 5 feet tall and they were egged on by a woman photographer who was a few inches shorter.

It was a bit surreal.  I gave them a round of applause as they left just to make them feel a little better--and they did smile for the first time that I saw.

We went over to the art market and Ada bought a painting that was so new that the paint was not dry.  I tried to negotiate the price of a couple of watercolors and the painter would not budge the 5 euros I wanted, so I walked away.  You have to be ready to walk away but I am sorry now that I did not cave.  Oh well.

We stopped in a number of souvenir shops--Ada found a floaty pen in one, if I remember--and went back to the apartment.  We had tentatively made a reservation for a nighttime canal ride, but I was beat.  Ada really wanted to go; we flipped a coin and I won.  So we went out to dinner again at the same neighborhood place we had visited the night before.

The next morning, we were out early and on the train to Versailles.  Meredith recalled that her Aunt Donna had said that the Chateau was not to be missed.  And she was right.  It is really ridiculously ornate and over-the-top.  It becomes very clear why the French people wanted to overthrow the king.

 The outside is spectacular.  And it appears that they are in the process of re-gilding all of the roofs of the buildings to show how really gaudy it was in the time of Louis XIV-Louis XVI.

But inside, it's even more over-the-top.  Louis the XIV, who first lived there did not want any part of the interior to not be decorated and he got his wish.

The gardens are rightly renowned.

They go on forever, but we stayed relatively close to the chateau.

One fountain in particular caught my eye.  I think this is one of the most interesting, beautiful sculptures I have ever seen.

The fountains were not on.  Apparently there is a nighttime light show with the fountains that you pay extra for.

We were fairly famished at this point and we stopped at McDonald's in Versailles because we wanted to get back to Paris in time to see the Musee D'Orsay, which has a great collection of Impressionist paintings.  But we got to the museum at 5:04PM and the let the last people in at 5 even though it did not close until 6PM (on a Saturday!).  Not exactly the most tourist friendly.

It was probably for the best in any case because Ada and Meredith had to leave at 6AM the next morning to be sure to get the plane back home.  So we went to a new restaurant near the Gare de L'est and had our last steak frites of the trip.

I went with them in the morning as far as the train to the airport leaving from the Gare du Nord.  It was raining for the first time since they arrived and in fact it poured all day--perfect weather for a nap, some cleaning and packing.

Monday morning I made the same trek to the airport, picked up my rental car and drove to St. Fraimbault. Thank God for the GPS that Patrick had sent me!!!!!