The 13th of April

Today was the big drive to Paris from the Alps! It was a long, long drive- but we were all very excited to get to our destination. Eventually, we arrived at our hotel in 17th district of Paris- Pavillion Villiers Hôtel. A charming little place with a pleasant price. It took most of the day to get to Paris- so by the time we arrived it was time to start finding dinner. Of course the first place all of us wanted to visit was the Eiffel Tower- the symbol of France, the edifice known only to Paris, the origin of romanticism. We readied ourselves for a night out, hopped on the most amusing and efficient forms of transportation in Paris- the Metro and found ourselves emerging into the light again.

Our hearts all racing to see our first real view of the Eiffel Tower- our feet pulling along our bodies just as if we were being pulled along by a leash of an excited puppy. And finally, we reared around the corner- and there it was. Standing more than 1000 feet tall, it welcomed us to Paris in the most magnanimous manner. The half mile long, 800 feet across park leading to the Eiffel Tower made this majestic tower seem eternal. Our stomachs rumbled with such cataclysmic upheaval that we though it might be best to find dinner first, and explore second. Luckily, we found the perfect restaurant to fill our bellies and feast our eyes. This restaurant sat at the base of the Eiffel Tower and had a wonderful view.

During dinner we saw the first light show of the night- a spectacular event that happens the first 10 minutes of every hour after duck until 2am. The entire mass of the tower lights up and 'twinkles'- I suppose that's the best word to describe it. After dinner, we explored the around the base of the beast taking hundreds of pictures I'm sure. It was a beautiful evening.