Eiffel Tower

Another day, another croissant, and another walking marathon. Thank heavens for the sun, however temporary it is. We got off at a metro station a couple of kilometres away. We were heading in the direction of the Eiffel Tower when we saw a crowd outside a shop. The Asian in Flora was awoken. Crowd = bargains = win. We got into the line not knowing what it was about. It turns out it was for a very popular boulangerie (bakery). WIN!

In a mix of broken French and brilliant hand gestures, we left the shop with 2 baguettes. We'd like to think of it as a Kinder Surprise - who knows what you've just ordered. We set off to find some sun to devour our prizes. We found a spot along the Seine river, just outside of the Louvre. What a beautiful, beautiful day.

Fueled by food, Flora found her second wind and charged along to the Tower. Walking is not her favourite pastime. Why walk when you can run? We got there some time later. Great - Flora is hungry and tired again. We rest in the sunshine and contemplated climbing the Eiffel Tower by stairs. Stairs to the second platform it is. Just think of how many croissants we were burning off!

The panoramic view of Paris from the tower is pretty amazing. We probably preferred the view from the second platform (approximately 1/4 of the way up) rather than the very top as it wasn't obstructed by a cage. You can get to the second platform by stairs, but a lift will be required to get right up to the top for an extra fee. It was worth the experience.

We fail at being tourists. Every other person has a selfie stick which they wield expertly with one hand. We had a camera, mobile phones and short arms which unfortunately cannot give the same bird's-eye-view effect. Excuse us if the Eiffel Tower looks really small in our photos. Our heads are just very big.Read more