Tour Eiffel and The Trocaderro

Our 3rd full day in Paris was spent wandering around the Tour Eiffel and the Trocadero. We aren't early risers at the moment, I guess eating dinner at 9 or 10 at night and then roaming over to the Notre Dame to watch the fire twirlers and roller bladers, the young people hanging out along the banks of the Seine, and all the other late night attractions, isn't helping.  Most nights it is after midnight before we put our heads down.  The twilight lasts till nearly 10 every night and it is hard to eat dinner at 6 or 7 when it feels like midday.

We have all been to the Tour Eiffel before, not together though, so as you do when you are in Paris we went again.  We had tried to book tickets to go up the tower some months ago, but they were booked out.  The queues today were long and I am happy not to have gone up again.  You can obviously still go up the tower even if the online booking says it is booked out.  We headed over to the Trocadero for a better look at the tower.  It really is the best view of all.  From close to the tower you are literally surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of people.  The photos are really hard to get, we actually had an old Italian photo bomber do some bombing of our shots.  Ha ha cheeky bugger.  From the Trocaderi you get a brilliant view of the entire tower.

The BB's(bad boys) are out in droves, hawking there tinny gold and silver Eiffel Tower key rings and models.  They are there in the dozens, 5 for $1E they say rattling the dozens of trinkets at you, just walk on by.  The gypsies are out near the tourist attractions, the girls with their clipboards and a piece of paper they want you to sign.  They are rats, sorry but they try and shove the board in your face and apparently while you are distracted by the board someone else will try and pickpocket you.  I growl at them, they don't like it and leave.  Then there are the men with the three up turned silver cups and the ball underneath.  They have 3, 4 even 5 off siders making bids on where the little ball will be when they have finished shuffling.  The make it look like they are winning and con you into having a try, of course you will not win.  We saw a tourist yesterday lose $50e seriously what a dill.  They take off like scalded cats when the police come.  It's actually fun to watch, and we have not been bothered by them.  We actually don't spend much time at the tourist places so haven't been troubled at all.

Tips for travel in France:

1.  You will need coins or be prepared to use your credit card for tickets on the metro.  So if you are arriving for the first time have about $10e in coins on you.

2.  Nothing opens much before 9am, the boulangerie and Patisserie may be but that's about it.  The markets (marche) wont be open for milk etc till near 9am.

3.  The pharmacie may not be open on a Sunday.

4.  Wine in a restaurant will be on average $20e.

5.  Read the prices on the menu board before you go in if possible.  

6.  A beer in a nice restaurant will cost approx $12.50 ask Adrian he found that one out himself.

7.  $12.50e is about $18 be warned hahaha.

8.  Wear socks with your walking shoes not stockings, my feet coped much better yesterday with socks.

9.  Go wandering at night so much happens when the sun finally does go down.

Fire Twirlers near Notre Dame, it was near midnight.

Till Tomorrow.