We Visited the Eiffel Tower So You Don't Have To

This is the view from the street as we walked to the metro from our rental apartment -- the Tower behind the Russian Orthodox church.  

During our last trip to Paris at the end of 2016, we had made pre-paid reservations months in advance to have lunch at the Eiffel Tower with our friend Carol, who was in Paris for a few days.  The day before our lunch date, the Tower was closed for a strike.  Not to worry, says us, this never happens, it will be over tomorrow.  Umm, no.  So we changed our reservations for the following Friday, when Carol would still be in town.  Um, no.  The strike continued. 

Then the restaurant closed for a week during Christmas.  We quickly regrouped, without Carol who had left for the south, and made a reservation for January 4, a few days before our departure. 

And then.  I got an awful flu on Christmas Day, and Tom succumbed the following day.  On January 4 we were nowhere near ready to get out of bed, much less trek across town for lunch that we probably could not swallow.  So the very kind hostess gave us a year’s extension on our reservation. 

Three months later I was having a hip replaced, and eight weeks after that began a series of health challenges that stretched on for months.  We were not going to get back to Paris in 2017.  So we gave our tickets to French friends who enjoyed a lovely lunch in our place.  

So that’s a long introduction to this year’s Tour Eiffel adventure.  To cut to the chase, this year’s Tour Eiffel adventure was so unpleasant that we will never do it again.  If you even have a tiny inclination to journey to the top, just take an aspirin and foggedaboudit.  

We had tickets for a 4:30 ascent.  But no.  That meant at 4:30 we would be in line for the ascent.  Outdoors.  It was about 30 degrees.  I had on long underwear, a crew necked sweater, a long, heavy cardigan, an insulated vest, a long, lined raincoat, knitted hat, and gloves.  I was cold. 

In all, it took about 2 hours to get from the entrance of the Tower to the summit.  Where we could see…wait for it… nothing.  Completely fogged in.  Not their fault, but still.  We walked round, and in the absence of a view, tried to soak up some ambience, tried to find some ambience, and finally, finding it ambience-free, got into line for the descent, which took another 45 minutes.  Did I mention it was cold?   

So a miserable 3 plus hours was not enjoyed by anybody. 

Our advice?  The Tower is a lovely building to look at, from all kinds of angles.  Do that.  Don’t even think about going up it.  It has been loved to death.  RIP.   

If you haven't been lately, this is the scene below the Eiffel Tower -- buildings we assume are barracks for police and soldiers.  The footprint of the Tower is surrounded by 2" thick bullet-proof glass, and bollards to discourage anyone driving through the glass.  There is an airline-style security checkpoint to get into the grounds, and another more detailed one to go up into the Tower herself.  

Looking up, though, all is as it ever was.  

Except for the lines.  If our visit was 3.5 hours, 3 of them were spent in lines.  Sometimes we were in lines that did not know where they were going. 

 The view from the first level was lovely.  

  We could see the corner where our rental apartment was located. 

 

 We could see the rooftop of the Russian church.

 

 And...this is the view from the summit.  

So, back down to earth.  

So when people ask us why we went to the Tower, we tell them we went so no one else has to.  It was a lovely visit once, but today...not so much.  Enjoy her from afar. 

Vaux-le-Vicomte 2018

When we began to plan this year's visit to Paris, we were excited about all of the Christmas festivities.  We were most excited to see Vaux-le-Vicomte.  A few years ago when we visited at Christmas, we enjoyed a ride in a Ferris wheel located IN the grand ballroom of the chateau.  We wondered what we might see this year. 

Friend Catherine very graciously offered to drive us from the city to the chateau.  We planned to arrive at the opening.  It was bitterly cold.  But while the other visitors streamed into the chateau, we decided to start with the gardens which we had missed last time for lack of time. And no sooner had we walked to the far side of the chateau than Tom noticed a golf cart rental kiosk.  He rented a cart, and drove the three of us to the far side of the gardens and back again.  We had the grounds completely to ourselves -- not a single person was in the gardens before we finished our 45 minute ride.  Thanks, Tom!

The golf cart allowed us to go in places we never would have ventured on foot.   

 

And perhaps we went a few places we shouldn't, like fording this (very shallow) stream. 

By then we were chilled to the bone and hungry, so we beat the crowds and enjoyed a good lunch, mulled wine and hot chocolate before touring the chateau while the other visitors ate their lunches. 

And how lovely it was! 

This year instead of the Ferris wheel, it was a "hot" air balloon...

On our way out of the decorated portion of the chateau, we spied a table down a hallway.  On further investigation, we discovered that the woman there was selling tickets to the dome of the chateau.  Determined not to leave any aspect of the estate unexplored, we bought our tickets, and made our way to the top of the dome. 

 

The view was well worth the stairs. 

Now, chilled to the bone again, it was back to the cafe for mulled wine and hot chocolate, and then the drive home to Paris. 

Thank you Catherine for making it possible....