Walk 21: Get Lost!

After a long day of studying and muddling through homework, Courtney and I were ready for an adventure, so we set off to get lost near the Eiffel Tower. We of course needed sustenance first, so we wandered down the Rue Clair for a bit. This fun little street is perfect for window-shopping, with all kinds of family-owned businesses. There’s even one store that holds only honey products. We compared prices at some chocolate shops before getting some tasty Chinese food and eating outside. Even though we were pretty full, we knew we had room for Angelina’s gelato, especially since it was probably our last chance to go there!

After moseying along the Rue Clair for a bit, we made our way to the park in front of the Eiffel Tower to take pictures before getting in line. Unfortunately, by the time we made it to the ticket window, it was so windy that the top floor was closed, but we still went up to the second floor. We made it just in time for a beautiful sunset, which reminded me of Monet’s Impression, Sunrise. Seeing a 360-degree view of the city made me realize just how sad I’ll be to leave Paris next week. I love it this city, and I feel like I’ve only just begun to experience life here.

When we’d had our fill of photo-ops, Courtney and I went down the stairs (which is almost as cool as being on top of the tower), and then headed over to the Place du Trocadéro. I’ve done a little research about that spot and found out that it was built in 1937 to be an example of modern architecture at that year’s exposition.

Everything was closed for the night, but the buildings house several museums that would be great to visit someday. There is also an aquarium nearby. We had come over to Trocadéro for one reason only, though: the view. Every hour the Eiffel Tower sparkles for a few minutes, and we arrived just in time for the 9:00 light show.

We really did get a little lost on our way back to the metro, but that just meant we had a chance to find this monument to the 200^th anniversary of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. I’m not sure what the meaning of this little boy’s newspaper hat is supposed to be, but I liked it.