Luxembourg and the Eiffel Tower

The grueling pace of the short time we have been in Paris has already taken its toll. At breakfast Tim, Mark and Mark (aka "Curly, Larry and Mo") informed me that after walking over 30000 steps yesterday, that they had now lost all sensation below their necks. They had declared themselves medically unfit for any more walking and had decided to catch the infamous "Hop On Hop Off" bus instead.
I did not expect our elite athletes to succumb so quickly, but it was obvious they had made their decision. Later in the day I found out that their bus trip turned out to be a "Hop on and don't get off", rather than hop on, hop off.
The early retirement of 75% of my team meant that I had most of the day to myself. So what did I decide to do ? The answer is walk. About 10 am I headed off for the nearby Luxembourg Gardens. In my humble opinion they are the most beautiful gardens in Paris and I was looking forward to spending a few hours strolling and people watching.
The overnight drizzle had completely cleared and Paris was enjoying yet another mild and sunny day. Thousands of Parisians and tourists were already enjoying the amazing park. I was happy to find a chair in the shade and watch those around me. I was soon captivated by a very well dressed young woman and her male companion. They spent at least 45 minutes trying to find the perfect pose. Time and time again she would look in the mirror, slant her head and wait for the next picture to be taken. Then she would join her companion to examine the end result. Apparently, they were never quite good enough, as she repeated the process over and over. I could not help but feel a little sad that so many people have become so shallow and self centred that they become oblivious to the natural beauty that is all around them.
I wondered on to the large lake where dozens of small sail boats were struggling to make in the headway in the calm conditions. These sailboats have been a much loved tradition at this park for generations and it was comforting to see that such simple things could still bring pleasure in an age of social media and smartphones.
After a couple of hours I started to get thirsty and sat down in one of the cafes for a coffee and some chocolate mousse. I was really enjoying the delicious mousse until I looked down and discovered that somehow I had managed to dribble some of it (actually quite a lot) right down the front of my pale shirt. Obviously, I must have been given a faulty spoon. Well, that was embarrassing. I had no alternative other than to return to the hotel for an unscheduled change of clothes and some hasty laundry.
Sometime later, wearing a different shirt, I walked to the Latin Quarter to find somewhere to have lunch. I was drawn to a small pizza restaurant where I enjoyed a classic Four Cheeses pizza and it really was delicious. The walk back to the hotel took me back past the 2000 year old Roman baths, although I was a little frustrated that the surrounding security fencing made it really hard to get a decent photo.
The next couple of hours was spent resting in my room. We had previously made plans to meet up at 4.30 pm to catch the Metro to the Eiffel Tower, then do an evening cruise on the Seine. The Three Stooges were so exhausted after sitting on their Hop On Bus trip that they needed even more afternoon sleep. Then it was time to venture below ground to experience the Metro system. This incredible transit system carries something like 20 million passengers every day, and most of them were apparently on the train we needed to catch. It really does work efficiently, although it would have been more pleasant if the trains were air conditioned.
After about 30 minutes we emerged near the Eiffel Tower and were soon in the midst of a tourist throng. There is no doubt that the tower is a spectacular construction, but the sheer number of tourists left me really looking forward to soon leaving this enormous city and getting on our bikes on those peaceful trails we had come so far to enjoy.
To get near the tower you now have to go through a security check. These checks have now become a feature of every major attraction and are a reminder of how much things have changed over the past few years.
We had planned to take one of the evening river cruises and obviously about 500,000 other tourists had somehow made the same plans. After paying the 20 Euro ticket price we joined a huge queue to join the ceaseless line of boats. Each of these massive vessels was crammed with 100s of passengers. Some quick mental arithmetic gave an indication of how lucrative this business must be.
Although I normally shun such tourist traps like the plague, sometimes you have to swallow your principles. A night cruise through the City of Light really is an amazing experience, especially on a clear night with the full moon doing its best to add even more to the spectacle. The only distraction was the young girl in front of us who spent the entire cruise looking away from the surroundings while her friend took picture of her in front of every landmark.
After the cruise, we navigated the Metro again, after running the gauntlet through the mass of hawkers selling miniature models of the Eiffel Tower. I didn't buy one, By this time I only had one thing on my mind and it was bed.Read more