The Eiffel Tower

​The Eiffel Tower.    

   Today I celebrate my 75th birthday. What better way than to spend it at the top of the Eiffel tower? Even with the Covid crisis we had to wait a couple of hours in line to climb aboard the elevators that would take us to the top.

   It was a good day. The weather was clear and the sun was shining. We kept our face masks on as we rubbed elbows with other tourists. It was a good day to snap photos of this huge city.  

   Steve and Rhonda headed for the Louvre this morning to see the coy smile on the Mona Lisa. They planned to climb the  Eiffel Tower later on in the day. Ron, Nancy, Debby and I took our time checking out the view. We managed to stick together long enough to snap a couple of group photos but otherwise we did our own thing. Most of the time, I think Nancy wished she was back on the ground is this tall tower made her nervous.

   After a couple of hours we took the elevator down to the ground and decided to find some lunch. Debby had wanted to go visit a certain shopping area so we stopped into a small sidewalk cafe on the way.   We rather enjoyed the sidewalk café’s because they were more lax with the rules. If you wanted to sit inside, we had to enter with a mask and also show your vaccination card before you could get a table.

   Not far away we found the street Debby was looking for. It was called Rue Cler, the most famous market street in Paris. This is where local Parisians go for daily shopping. The street was lined with all kinds of shops, cafes, flower shops, clothing stores, variety shops and vegetable stands to name a few. Debby decided to buy me a rolling suitcase.  I had wanted one because my backpack suitcase was a little heavy for my tired old bones. Besides, it came in handy as we shopped and bought things. At the end of the street we decided to sit and enjoy something to drink.  Debby and I had a coffee.  Nancy found a place making tart lemonade with lime. Ron searched for the elusive Dr Pepper. I actually think he found one, too!

   Soon Ron and I decided it was time to head back to our hotel for a nap and rest. We wandered around looking for a taxi and finally found a taxi stand. Deb and Nancy opted to try their hand at more shopping so they gave us the packages and headed out in other directions. 

   We usually preferred taxis over public transportation like trolleys and buses because we could be picked up and dropped off door to door. Old people like that. Besides, for the most part, the price is about the same when you consider splitting the taxi fare four ways. 

   Evening came, Steve and Rhonda were still out. Debby and Nancy were back. We had plans to do a River cruise after dark. We connected with Steve on the phone and arranged a meeting place.

   The boat ride on the Seine River was a lot of fun. The famous buildings, including Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower were lit up with a thousand lights. Many other buildings lining the river were also lit up and the reflection on the water was very pretty. All in all we had a great day!

Mike