Today our main stop of the day was climbing up the stairs of the Eiffel Tower. We had to wait in line to buy tickets, which was slightly confusing for us. We got in one line only to find out later that it was only for visitors that wanted to take the elevator up to the second floor. We wanted the experience of walking up the stairs, so we had to eventually go to the other line to purchase tickets. The other bummer was that access to the top was closed. Nevertheless, it was really fun and slightly tiring climbing up the steps. To the first floor, there are 328 steps, and another 341 steps to the second floor viewing.
After taking in the picturesque view from the Eiffel Tower, we walked around the area in some of the little shops and boutiques. We did not end up buying anything, but it was interesting to see the Parisian fashion. After window shopping, we ate lunch at a burger spot called Frog Burgers. I had a burger called the Revolution Burger, a mixture of meats with cheese and a special sauce.
Once our food had settled, we walked to the Bastille and took some pictures as the cars whizzed by around the roundabout. To be honest, I was not exactly sure what the Bastille looked like so when we arrived I was a bit taken back.
Not too far off we stopped at a fountain before heading to Notre-Dame where we sat down, took pictures, and talked to some family members over FaceTime. Notre-Dame is a beautiful cathedral. When you get up close, you can notice all of the intricate details of people that are sculpted throughout the structure. It was also a bit comical to watch as people off to the right were picking up bird feed and letting birds sit on their shoulders, arms, and even their heads. People are crazy.
Our next stop was to Pont des Arts Bridge also known as lock or love Bridge. The bridge itself had no more locks on it but rather a hard plastic that lined the sides. Apparently, all of the locks were taken off two years ago because they were weighing down the bridge. There was a small remnant of locks off to the right next to the stairs. Nevertheless, the view from the bridge was quite beautiful.
After all of the walking we had done we were in the mood for something sweet. I suggested a place that sells crepes because I would not want to leave Paris without having one and needless to say, we went to a crepe place. I ordered a crepe with chocolate, caramel, and vanilla ice cream. Perfection.
Our last stop of the night was to Norte-Dame, yes, we went again. On our way there at a signal crossing, two gentlemen in yellow spandex stopped the flow of traffic and hundreds of roller skaters flowed through the intersection escorted by three police cars. It was quite bizarre.
When we finally arrived back at Norte-Dame we enjoyed another surprise as a street performer grabbed two sticks and lit them on fire and starting throwing them up in the air. He was pretty good. His friend also performed but with ropes. He threw them quite high in the air and at times he was able to make the fire spread making it look like an explosion was happening. He was the better performer.
Once the show was over, we sat down and took pictures and videos . Even though it was after 10pm, there was enough light to take some decent pictures. This was a great way to end the night.
