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October 16, 2006

Paris, Day Two: Eiffel Tower

Travel takes it out of you. Or at least, that's what I'm telling myself to explain why I slept for 16 hours last night. Holy cow! (All I can say is : I clearly needed it.)

Elaine and I emerged from the apartment around 2 PM, blinking, well-rested, and wide-eyed, and started searching for food. The day was going to be spent getting to know the neighborhood.

We headed out the door and got some (typically) incredible sandwiches from a street vendor, then strolled along and just enjoyed the bustle and vibe of Paris. As we approached a very busy intersection, I spied the international symbol for coffee, in all its green, mermaided glory: Starbucks.

Yes, a Starbucks. Call me a corporate sellout; I don't care. I got my iced Americano on while we munched our sandwiches and watched people go by.

(Fun Fact #1: The "venti" size in France is not as big as the "venti" size in the US. Interpret this to mean whatever you like.)

There are a lot, lot, LOT of scooters and mototcycles here. I expected more bicycles, but there are relatively few to be found. People seem to walk, or hop on a scooter, moped, or 650-cc motorbike to go places. The guy who let us the apartment zoomed away on a 250-cc scooter, a very common model around here.

People do walk everywhere around here. Foot power is the dominant form of transport, even down to the late-thirtyish guy I saw in a full business suit, kicking his way through the crowd on a Razor scooter, cell phone to his ear. Nobody bat an eyelash at the dude.

After strolling for a bit (the weather was spectacular - sunny and crisp), we decided to hit the Eiffel Tower, which is one of those Parisian landmarks that, like the Space Needle, draws tourists like moths to flame. We bought ourselves a couple of week-long Metro passes (an amusing exercise when your lnaguage skills are marginal), hopped the train and popped out just in sight of the Tower.

(Fun Fact #2: where the Tube uses metal wheels - it's a full rail system - Paris' Metro uses rubber tires. Who'da thunk?)

If I can say anything at all about the Eiffel Tower, it's just this: wow. It's incredible. Forget the comparisons to the Space Needle or the Stratosphere or the CN Tower, or [insert name of famous tall building here]. The Eiffel Tower is so tall, so massive, so just ... brutal in its raw functionalism, in its wrought-ironness, that comparing it to other buildings is like comparing a Howitzer to a pea shooter. Really. It's that different.

We spent a few hours at the Tower, going all the way up to the top (the queues for the elevators are substantial), snapping pictures, talking to other Americans who happened to be in line (there were a lot), enjoying the sound of dozens of languages being spoken over (and to) one another.

Departed around half-past six and walked the river, swinging by another sandwich shop for dinner and then enjoying our catch in front of the Louvre. We strolled the rest of the way home, stopped for groceries and a quick 30-minute Internet session (of which, perhaps 4 minutes were actually productive - stupid keyboards), and then called it a night.

Tomorrow, we go to Disneyland Paris. Can. Not. Wait.

(Flickr photostream is available.)

Posted by Gavin Shearer at October 16, 2006 11:32 PM. Posted to Travel.

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