Paris - Eiffel Tower

---

Paris – The Eiffel Tower.

This would be our last day with Trafalgar Tours and the prospect of saying goodbye to new friends was not a happy one. Meanwhile there were two major attractions on today's agenda and so we were to be ferried by bus about four blocks up the Quai de Grenelle to that most famous of Parisian landmarks, the Eiffel Tower.

It was just after 9:30am when we arrived at the Tower. The day was heavily overcast and quite cool. Crowds were lined up in serpentine fashion waiting for an elevator ride up the Tower. It looked like at least a two-hour wait for them. For us, however, tour group passes took us to the front of the line and we were on the second level of the Tower in about 15 minutes.

It is hard to present a jaded outlook about the Eiffel Tower. Along with Egypt’s Pyramids it might be the most recognized structure in the world. And it is an impressive piece of engineering – a giant Mechano set, as one of our local guides described it. From the second level, maybe 600 feet up, fine views of Paris might be seen if the weather were better. (Wikipedia has a spectacular panoramic picture, if you are interested in looking at it.) For us, we wandered around the perimeter of the level, peered through the mist to see what could be seen, took a photo or two, had a warming espresso, and departed.

---