Amazing Ax-Man: Paris

It was a long train ride from Munich to Paris, but we survived! We dropped our luggage off at the apartment and then headed to the Eiffel Tower. The line took about 40 minutes to get through, then we walked up the stairs! 669 steps up to the second floor. Luckily you can take it in two sections, since it is about half to the first floor, then half to the second floor.

There was a rugby thing going on, which is probably why the line was so long. By time we got up, it was pretty much over. I'm sad that the view wasn't as pretty, but oh well. And you know what is funny about Europe? In America, you have a big event like that and there will be lines of port-a-potties. In Europe, you're on your own! I don't know what people do there... I only saw one person publicly urinating the whole time I was there. Maybe their bladders are genetically bigger? But I'm descended from Europeans, so maybe not... Anyway, enough potty talk.

Brandon talking a picture of the see-through platform down to the ground.

My feet. The line of people on the top is the line to walk up, and the line of people on the bottom is for the elevators. The elevator line takes way longer, FYI.

This is on the second level. Jeff ran up to the smaller platform (and braved a huge Indian tourist group) to get this picture.

These made me laugh. They had a bunch of them near the carousel at the base of the Eiffel Tower. Maybe they were thinking the parents could "exercise" while the kids were riding the carousel?

Arc de Triomphe

This is a plaster mold of one of the heads of the statues on the outside. A lot bigger than you think!

The view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe.

Finally, all the younger boys have nice smiles in a picture... and Jeff ruined it.

Jeff and I walked from the Arc de Triomphe down the Champe de Elysee (a major shopping road) down to this pavilion (that had a rap concert going on? Paris had all kinds of random happenings while we were there) at Place de la Concorde. Marie Antioniette, Louis XVI, and many others were guillotined here. Also that obelisk was brought there from Egypt.

Arc de Triomphe way in the background above my head.

Then we got delicious crepes and headed in for the night! It stays light WAY late there. It was about 10 pm in this picture, but you would never guess by the light.

The next day we walked to Notre Dame. It was pretty close to our apartment.

Inside Notre Dame. It was Sunday, and the main Mass was going on, but they still let visitors in! I was so excited to hear and see Mass. The music was so gorgeous.

This is my "Dog the Bounty Hunter" pose.

Then we hopped on a tour bus to see some sights.

Me with the Pont Alexandre III Bridge.

Jeff and I eating baguettes outside the Musee d'Orsay. How very French of us! I had a ham and cheese baguette every day for lunch in France. It is so yummy!

The Musee d'Orsay has Modern pieces. This one is cool.

This room was from a palace or something. I can't remember, but it was cool! They transported it to the Musee d'Orsay.

This painting was awesome. It really pulled Jeff's and my attention. You should see it in person. (Snowy Landscape, by Cuno Amiet)

We hopped back on the sight-seeing bus to go to the Louvre. Bad idea because it took forever, we should have just walked. But we got to pass some cool stuff that we might not have seen otherwise. This is the Opera House, which Phantom of the Opera is based from. The scene with the chandelier was inspired by true events (a counter weight for the huge chandelier fell during a performance and killed an audience member).