Eiffel Tower and other sights

We awoke to threatening skies.    Not more rain we said, and set off in a positive mood.    The first stop was the Eiffel Tower, where Brian and I intended to climb to the second level.   I was too late to book tickets for the lifts, and queueing was not an option.     So off we went, up and up and up.   And my height problem must be improving as I did not even feel nervous.   And the rain held off too.

Brian clinging to the edge on the first level.    No problems!

Brian queued up for the lift to the top.   And surprisingly he only had to wait half an hour.    Very organised.    I declined to go any further, as I did not want to test my courage.

Susanne and Walter went for a walk, and enjoyed the view of the tower from a safe place, i.e. the ground.

So off for lunch at a restaurant on the Left Bank, once the Quartier Latin and close to that prestigious university, the Sorbonne.   Lunch was in a Greek Cafe, with delicious food and great atmosphere.   I think that Andreena and John remember this restaurant, on a sunny day, with lots of people walking past.

But today, it rained, heavily, and the shop across the road was doing a roaring trade in umbrellas.   Good for business.

So of course we bought umbrellas too, just when the sun came out of course.

Brian decided that a beret was more in keeping with Paris.    Just the thing to wear whilst playing golf in NZ. He looks very French.

A visit to the Notre-Dame, and no queues either.   A beautiful church, with much history.

The bicycle tied to the post, minus, wheels, seats, handle bars.    I thought this only happened in the Netherlands.

A metro trip to the Sacre Coeur, or the street, that leads to the church.   A very busy shopping area, with many tourist shops and shops selling cheap tack.

The Sacre Coeur, in the sunshine too.    A very quiet and reflective church, with very strict rules about dress and behaviour.    And no photographs either.  

The artists square by the Sacre Coeur.

I even took my coat off, but not the scarf.    Not yet.    Too risky.   The weather may change.

And home again on the various metro lines.    We loved the ornate entrance to this metro line.

And so ended a truly lovely stay in Paris, where we saw so much, just by using the metro and popping up above ground at all the important places.    This is much preferable to the hours of walking between places of interest, which is how we used to travel.