Champs Élysées

What to do on a rainy day in Paris? Bugger it, no time for procrastination. We’ve only got today, so exactly the same thing we would do if it was sunny.

We promised ourselves we would go up the Eiffel Tower first thing, so off we went. We worked out that we could get off at the Trocadero Metro Station, see the Palias de Chaillot and it was no further to walk from there to the Tower than it was from the station we were supposed to get off at. Good decision. Milly and I are masters of the Metro (I may have already mentioned that).

There was an absolutely huge crowd between the Palais and the Tower. What the? The rain should have kept a few people away and it’s early? We’ll never get to see the Tower!

 

 
Turns out there was a fun run on – the Le Parisienne. Apparently this is a 7 km race especially for women, something akin to the Sussan Women’s Fun Run in Melbourne. The runners were being released in waves, starting about 9:30am and they were still going at 11:30am. There were a bloody lot of them!

We only went up to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, it was rainy and foggy. Not much point spending the money to sit in the fog and see nothing from the summit. Besides which, the second floor is a very long way off the ground – 120m – and far enough for me (and more than far enough for Michelle). Great views, as you would expect. Crowded, as you would expect. Not as crowded as it would have been on a fine day though.

 

 
 

 
Then off to the Arch de Triumph (by train, because we are good at that). The Arch is very impressive when you are up close and personal. It supposedly has the names of all the battles the French have won (since ?) inscribed on it. I didn’t check them all, there were an awful lot of names though. I must admit to being a bit doubtful about the numbers. The French haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory in the last 100 years, so I suspect there are a few bar room brawls listed to make up the numbers.

 

 
  
The rain cleared off after lunch (crepes, because we are in France) and we hopped on our bus again. Stopped off at a few places and had a really good wander around The Louvre, didn’t go in though. We needed another day to have enough time for that.

 

 
Cruised around on the bus some more, then back home on the Metro. Finished the day off by buying a couple of baguettes. Milly and I wanted to walk down the street carrying a baguette (followed by a baguette duel) to feel really French. Should have bought the beret. Next time.

 

 
Paris is now done. Off to Caen first up tomorrow. Photos still pending an Internet connection that’s a bit faster than an old 9600 baud modem. Hopefully that’s also to be found in Caen.

See you on the beaches, Steve J.