The Lourve and the Eiffel Tower

This was our first venture into Paris and we were full of excitement. We wandered down to the nearest subway station "RER". As we walked down the hill we had two alternatives left or right. Getting this wrong would mean a long climb back up. A Parisian was walking past and he happily showed us the way. They are so friendly and he even offered to take us inside to translate so we could buy the three day pass. 

The RER is very extensive in Paris and can take you anywhere. Its like a massive rabbit warren with long passages connecting different lines. Our first journey took some time before getting familiar with how the signs and systems work.

We walked out into the very light drizzle with the Lourve Museum looming in front of us. It seems a good time to visit Paris as long as you are happy with the weather, as the queues are quite short. About 10 minutes later we were trawling through the various rooms and levels of the Museum. 

We spent the first 30 minutes trying to find the Mona Lisa. Up this passageway, down those stairs, into that room etc. There were signs for this painting but it wasn't always obvious. Eventually Sophia spotted it in a large room. The huge crowd was a bit of a giveaway. We spent the next hour randomly wandering through rooms and levels enjoying the art. We took a particular fancy to the Egyptian area.

We had booked tickets for the Eiffel Tower at 5pm. You would think one and a half hours would be long enough to make our way there. However, getting out of the Lourve is easier said than done. It took us some time to wind our way out following the "sortie" signs. It can be quite arduous carrying Holly up and down stairs as she got tired.

The Eiffel Tower was a real highlight. We arrived in the light of day and left in the dark. Pre buying tickets made life a great deal easier and as we arrived at 4.45pm we only had a 10 minute wait before entering. The elevators are large and people jammed themselves in to maximise space. First we shot up the middle section with good views of the city. This is as far as we had gone last time opting for the stairs. Next we were herded onto the central lift and up we went to the top. Its amazing how far you can go up. The tower is 320 meters tall and was built in 1889. A man by the name of Gustave Eiffel had an apartment on the top and entertained celebrities like Thomas Edison.

The views from the top are amazing as only a couple of buildings in central Paris are higher than four stories. The wind was very strong and the kids were almost blown away. 

The trip down was as easy as getting up and before long we were again standing and now viewing the Eiffel Tower by night. At 6pm there was a light display. Its the type of place where you can just hang out for hours. But alas it had been a long day out and the kids were getting tired. 

A day in Paris is never quite complete until you have enjoyed a ride on a carousel. These are plentiful all over Paris so of course there were two in the vicinity of the Tower. Holly loves these and I suspect we will be making them a regular thing.They are a Paris Christmas tradition and there are 20 free ones dotted around the city.