Day 8c - Elegant Eiffel and Cruising On the Seine

For the events of Friday, September 4, 2009

6:45 pm - After getting back to the hotel around 5:00 PM and relaxing for awhile and
working on my blog, I looked out the window and saw that the clouds had truly begun to

disappear and the weather had improved dramatically, which I was very pleased with (see picture left, click for larger), just as the sun was going down. I decided to lay down for about an hour or so as I was really exhausted, but was ready to go out and see the
fantastic Eiffel Tower at night, which they just turned on the lights.

8:45 PM - Only slept for an hour because I was really excited to get going. I quickly went to the RER C train station, and it took it for about 20 minutes to Champ du Mars / Tour Eiffel

9:05 PM - I arrived and exited - at the wrong station. I wasn't paying attention to the signs in the station, just my map, and didn't notice it had one more station on the map before Eiffel station that I couldn't see at first. So now I'm at Avenue du President Kennedy station, right by the enormous Radio France main building - and it's 15 min to the next train. I debated for a minute walking to the Tour, as I assumed it couldn't be far away, but I can't even see the Tower for buildings and it's a full moon - so I'll wait. It's a bit creepy and quiet here tonight, but calm. Got some nights shots around here.

9:26 PM - train finally came and within 3 minutes, exited at the Eiffel station. I could

immediately see the very top of the Eiffel Tower and it's enormous lighthouse-like search light sweeping the skies above peeking over nearby buildings. I walked about a block down the street, and when the Eiffel came into full view I admit I gasped out loud. At night it's amazing - and it's unbelievably huge (click picture right, click for larger).

I'm speechless - this makes the Sydney Opera House seem so insignificant. Only the Statue of Liberty compares for man-made monuments, and as I've mentioned before I believe, it's the #1 most visited monument in the world. I still can't believe it's glowing in front of me. It takes your breath away.

The Tower was built for the 1889 World's Fair, and until the Chrysler Building opened in New York in 1930, it was the world's tallest structure. It's 1,063 foot muscular strength looms over you as you walk up to it - as tall as an 81-story skyscraper (the CN Tower in Toronto is shockingly almost twice as tall!). I decided early on that, due to the wind, etc. I wasn't going to go up on the observation decks at all - I'm scared of heights, and I had a bit of a scare at the Empire State Building's outdoor viewing area that I don't plan to repeat. The Empire State building feels like it's sucking you off the ledge if you get too close, due to the wind sheer. Of course, the Tower wouldn't have that same problem, being completely hollow, but I still wasn't really game on chancing it.

The tower has three levels for visitors. Tickets can be purchased to walk up either on stairs or ascend with elevators to the first and second levels. The walk to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the walk from the first to the second level. The third and highest level is only accessible by elevator, and both the first and second levels feature restaurants, which I'm sure would be amazing to eat in, but you'd need reservations weeks in advance to get in. There were hundreds of people milling around, and it was actually a bit of a carnival atmosphere - which frankly made me a bit uncomfortable, as I didn't see a single policeman anywhere.

9:50 PM - I knew that the last boat of the night was going out at 10:00 PM on the Seine boat cruise and I didn't want to miss it - this is probably my last chance to go out. So I quickly walked about a block from the Tower to the Seine River (the Tower is on its bank) and found the Bateaux Parisiens dock, and the boat was just starting to load.The boat (see picture left, click for larger) had a large interior seating area with a windowed ceiling (which wasn't very clean) and windowed walls. You could also sit outside in a row of seats, which I decided to do once the boat started, because it was impossible to take any good pictures out of the windows being so dirty. There was a tour audioguide of the buildings you saw on the shores of the Seine, which you listened to with a little telephone unit, pressing 2 for English in my case. There are many other companies like this one that tour the River every night, and some of them looked much more modern than ours, with big floodlights shining up the sides of the famous buildings on the banks, like Notre Dame Cathedral, etc.

10:00 PM - The lights in the boat were turned out, and we set off. We went for about 1/2 hour down the river, turned and came back, seeing many of the great buildings of Paris. I was frustrated that, due to the poor lighting and movement on the boat, I couldn't take good photos, but have great videos to show later. Honestly, you don't get to see that much from the River, so if you are thinking you will get to see everything that Paris has to offer from the boat, think again. It's a nice little ride, but it's not like taking a tour bus through the city for sure. But it was free (comped by the hotel) so I can't complain.

By the time we got 1/2 way it became brutally cold - so bad, in fact, that I could hardly hold the camera straight to video. I'm also starving - never had supper.

11:09 PM - just as we pulled back to the harbor and were getting off the boat, suddenly

the Eiffel Tower lit up like a Christmas tree with flashing colored lights - everyone went "oooooh ahhhhh" and practically stampeded off the boat to get pictures, which was a bit dangerous and again irritating, but whatever - I got a few good shots myself (see picture right, click for larger).11:28 PM - trains are truly pathetic here at night, and it's a Friday! They only run every 15-20 minutes! I have to leave hotel by 6:15 so won't get much sleep but it was worth it. Could have done this all on Saturday night but I don't really know when we're coming back, and the sky was clear tonight, which was perfect for Eiffel night pictures.

11:46 PM - Bizarre - sign kept saying a train to Versailles was coming at 11:30 - and never came! I was worried something was wrong with system but after 20 minutes, my train came and I got on it - tired, starving and freezing but happy to see the best sights of Paris tonight. This has been a frustrating and irritating day but ended great - could even see the full moon tonight clearly. Could barely see across town this morning with the rain.

A few trampy drunks were on the train but I'm listening to music and ignoring them. One clearly has attention deficit disorder or something - she's jerking around to music like she has Parkinson's or something. At the moment I'm concentrating on writing this blog so I don't kick her through a window - haha.

I'm only kind of kidding - she's a real dumbass.

12:39 AM - Finally got back to the hotel, and decided to risk room service again. Chose curry chicken and rice with Coke, and it was very good, though again, about 30€. Ate quickly and then went to sleep - big day tomorrow!