18 May 2015 - Happy Birthday Annika and a trip up the Eiffel Tower to celebrate!

When booking such a trip as ours, it all sounds good in theory once the itinerary is planned, but really the randomness of dates allocated to places means we can't plan ahead for fine weather because it was all done so far ahead.  Annika had requested to be in Paris for her birthday, so we put that request into the random structure which became our itinerary!  Paris in Spring time sounded pretty good!

Can't buy cards like this!!

To wake to a clear blue sky and a predicted 22 C was as perfect as could be for our day ahead!

Bonjour and Happy Birthday

Tim and I dashed out to buy some picnic supplies and fresh bakery goods before Annika woke up!  We sang "Happy Birthday" and gave her breakfast in bed of a pain au chocolat, fresh strawberries and orange juice.  Once the picnic was packed, her birthday request to go up the Eiffel Tower was put into action.  Karl opted not to go up the tower so he was most helpful in being picnic bringer to our pre-arranged lunch spot so the food was fresh and cool.

Where was the queue?

Even for those a bit wary of heights, there is clearly no way anyone could fall off the tower!

Squinting into the bright sun!

Up and up we went!

It is about 20 minutes walk to the tower from here and we expected long snakelike queues as every time we has passed by the tower, we saw queues like that.  Today, being a Monday, perhaps, the queue was less than 5 minutes for the stair climb up the two floors of the Eiffel Tower. For the cost of 16.50 Euro for the 4 of us, we thought it was thoroughly worthwhile.  The views were, of course, magnificent with such a clear day and the displays were interesting.  Luke liked the comparison of the tallest buildings in the world and Tim was interested in all the movies and advertisements which have featured the Eiffel Tower.  Annika just LOVED it all and so she should!

Checking safety standards

Checking out the lattice work

Comparing heights of the world's greatest buildings

Medallion printing

Getting a feel for the tower!

Some of the movies featuring the Eiffel Tower

The Arc de Triomph got smaller and smaller

The old spiral staircase...glad of the lift these days!!

I have walked up the 2 flights of stairs before but never had taken the lift to the summit before.  Today was the day!! (6.50 Euro each). Wow!  Luke decided he was scared of heights but managed well and could be cajoled along!

Second stage and a long way to go...

We found the ticket desk for the next part, the elevator to the summit after walking around and around looking for it!  The view from the top and the view actually going up in the lift was excellent.

Sacre Coeur

Trocadero and fountain

We thought we would use the toilets at the very top just because we could!!  They were clean and tiny!!

At the summit!

Selfie!

281 Metres up!

Top cuddle!

Might never go up here again so I was very glad of a sunny sunny  day

Top photo

The only queue we did encounter was for the descending lift to the 2nd stage but even then we only waited for 15 minutes.  Maybe we were just lucky or maybe we have just beaten the real tourist crowds which will arrive in the next month or so.

Birthday girl

Sitting on the glass and looking down

Birthday hand stand on the glass platform!

Nearly down!

We did get down in time to meet Karl with 5 minutes to spare before he arrived with the picnic.  How nice! Sitting in the shade on the grass with the Eiffel Tower in view was most celebratory.  Before long, however, we were joined by a class of stick wielding primary school students who were supposedly lining up for the public toilet but who were playing up so much that their teacher eventually ignored them. It was peaceful once they'd left!

Medallion printing

Waiting for Karl-o

Another hand stand to celebrate!

Perfecting those hand stands still!

Birthday picnic..impossible to get all eyes open and looking to the front!

The afternoon was young so we decided on a walk back to the beautiful Jardin du Luxembourg so Karl and Luke could see where we went yesterday.  I love the way chairs are provided in the parks and people young and old make good use of them.  There were lots of people in the park despite being a Monday afternoon.  I guess the population density is so much higher and people don't have their own back gardens to lounge about in.

Beautiful statue near  Eiffel Tower

The Cavalerie - it seemed busy as we passed it...and later we saw the horses!

Three little ducklings and Luke

Tim ran back to the apartment whilst we wandered around a bit more.  There were some delightful ducklings on the lake.  As we were walking to the exit, a cavalry was assembling comprising about 12 beautifully groomed horses and their equally beautifully groomed uniformed riders.  They mounted their horses and rode off up Rue Vaugirad.  We figured something special was happening as there was suddenly a large police presence and traffic seemed to be being stopped.

All the horses were the same colour and all looked splendid

We walked on, and just when we got to a patrolled, cleared intersection where all the vehicles had been stopped and two police were in charge of it all, Luke had to go to the toilet!  We could see one of those modern "rocket ship" like toilets on the wide median strip down the centre of the road.  We thought we'd make a dash for it.  As the toilet door closed, Luke called out for paper, so, me, as provider of all things necessary, said to open the door, which he did and then it wouldn't close!!!  So there was Luke, sitting on the toilet, in a very public space and we just couldn't get the door to close.  Even as we walked away, the door wouldn't close!  We had just crossed back to the footpath when the motorcade of police motorbikes and dark windowed cars drove past!  Imagine what a laugh they would have had to see Luke sitting on the toilet on their way past!  No-one seemed to know which dignitary deserved such a welcome.  It turned out to be the President of Singapore, Tony Tam Keng Yam who had come to sign some form of agreement marking 50 years of friendship with France.  Fancy that!

For a horse loving girl, these horses were a birthday treat!

Off they march!

President of Singapore and his motorcade

The walk home was LONG and we were all tired, but happy tired.  Annika thinks it is tiring being a 14 year old!

Simple home cooked birthday dinner enjoyed by all followed by really lovely vanilla ice cream - French quality.  Happy birthday to our dear Annika!  Your 14th birthday will be etched in your mind forever!