Day 8

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After brekky, we head off on foot with map in hand to start our exploring. We head down to the Seine river past Notre Dame and turn left towards the Eiffel tower.

The tower drags you in like a magnet and you have to see it before you can do anything else.

We stumble across all the bridges with the padlocks that loved ones have left for their memory of Paris. There are thousands of them and I think of the extra load in weight they would put on the bridges.

Now I have one lock on my suitcase and it becomes very clear that I have two choices.

Use the lock on the bridge and pronounce my love for Michelle or leave it on my suitcase guarding my jocks. I naturally choose the second option.

Along the river are green boxes all locked up and we find out later these are for book sellers and souvenirs.

It took about an hour to walk to the tower and it is as great as you would think. The standout to me is not its height, but the size of the base at ground level.

The French open tennis is on and they have hung a big tennis ball from the tower.

We are booked in for a tour tomorrow in order to avoid the long queue.

Next we head up the the Arc de Triomphe and take in its structure and surrounds.

The view from the top was spectacular and it gives you a perspective of where everything is.

The design of the roads and monuments is amazing considering it was done many centuries ago.

For lunch we find a small patisserie and have a baguette and tart as the French would.

We spot Bernad Tomic the Aussie tennis player, but leave him alone.

Still on foot we make our way down to the Louvre, trying to take in all the statues and magnificent buildings that we pass along our journey.

You could take a lot of photos of these buildings and statues, but there are just too many.

Having walked all of the day, we head back about 4.30 for a rest and shower prior to tea, which will be most likely at the little restaurant we found on the first day and another bottle of French savigion.

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Comments

[Karen Maidment]

Views
Loving the views straight down the roads it looks like they go forever.