The Eiffel Tower, At Last

Ah, my second day in Paris.

A culmination of a lifetime of dreams (click here to read more about that).

Today’s goal was simple: see the Eiffel Tower and revel in the joy of having finally made it to Paris, revisit my younger self in the accomplishment of this life goal, and wave to future me as she continued to mold herself.

While I was planning my trip, I booked a skip-the-line ticket to the very top of the Eiffel Tower, which I would highly recommend for several reasons. One, why go up if you aren’t going to go to the very top? And two, the skip-the-line ticket is not actually very skip-the-line-y. I still stood in line for quite awhile to get to the top, which was a-okay with me, but it did simplify the process of getting to the top, as I was able to breeze through the initial security lines into the Eiffel Tower area. (Planning a trip to Paris? Click here to purchase an Eiffel Tower ticket.)

As my original plans were to spend a few measly days in Paris, I had booked a ticket for the Big Bus Tour Paris. I’m normally not a person who enjoys things that are excessively and stereotypically touristy in nature, but I had made an exception for this for two reasons: first, I knew my time in Paris was limited, and it seemed like the quickest, most efficient, and cheapest way to get a glimpse of many Parisian sites in a day, and secondly, because it reminded me of the bus in Harry Potter. It’s going to be a bumpy ride!

I also decided that since the bus stops were conveniently located near my hotel and many other locations I wanted to visit, at worst the bus could be a cheaper form of Uber.

However, in the end I predictably went my own way a la Fleetwood Mac and did not end up stepping foot onto the Big Bus tour that morning. Instead, I followed the ‘gram and excitedly booked an Uber to a Parisian flea market I’d seen someone post about on Instagram.

It went wrong almost right away, but I didn’t let it phase me for a minute. I was still in Paris, after all.

I accidentally typed in the wrong address, but all was well – my Uber dropped me off in front of a charming cafe, from which I people-watched while I waited for my second Uber to arrive. This time, it did bring my to the correct location, but it wasn’t quite what I expected.

The flea market was chock full of ugly tourist t-shirts and fake designer goods. Imagine corridors of plastic tables and tents, laden with fake Gucci purses and shirts, hangers displaying ” I <3 Paris” t-shirts and sweaters, and a myriad of flimsy berets. It was not the vibe.

I decided to give it a chance, thinking perhaps I was walking down a particularly tourist-y row, and that perhaps there were better shops or tables ahead. After all, I’d seen a photo of charming old books on someone’s Instagram, touting Le Puce as a great flea market!

It did not improve. I walked through many aisles, seeing much of the same goods. The market was crowded, despite the cheap items being sold, and I had a feeling that if I wasn’t scammed by a seller at the flea market, I’d be pickpocketed by a “shopper.”

I walked quickly, peering down aisles, hoping to find a better row. Eventually, I found one that had less touristy items, but what they did have was pretty junky. At the very end of the row was a little shop with more antiques and vintage items, and I did find quite a few old books there, but nothing that struck my fancy. I’d seen cooler books from the bouquinistes along the Seine, and would soon find an even better spot for the vintage books I was looking for.

I quickly realized the flea market would be a waste of my time, and decided to move on with my morning. So with that, I called my third Uber of the morning. And headed with trepidation to my next Instagram-inspired location.

I’m a firm believer of avoiding chain restaurants while traveling, with the exception of chain restaurants that are not available in the area you typically reside. And in a city like Paris, with lovely cafés on every corner, I’m not quite certain why someone would opt to go to a Starbucks.

Except the one across from the Opéra Garnier.

I would indeed advocate for the Starbucks on Boulevard des Capucines.

Instagram claimed that this Starbucks is the most beautiful Starbucks in the world, and while I was not intent on heading to any chains in Paris, I made an exception for the most beautiful Starbucks.

It was like a palace.

You’re telling me this is a STARBUCKS?

The place was packed, for obvious reasons, but I managed to snag a spot at this cute little counter, where I sipped a caramel Frappuccino because I panicked while ordering.

Glad to see that the age-old tradition of spelling my name has the power to transcend continental bounds.

I then tried to venture to the Opera for a tour, but unfortunately, it happened to be closed, so I pivoted again!

I decided to give some of the Parisian passages a try, since the flea market didn’t quite work out for me. The passages are exactly like what they sound like – covered passages that lead to shops and restaurants. I only had time to explore two of them, but definitely have it on my list to check out the many other lovely passages in Paris when I visit next. It was definitely the experience I was hoping to have at the flea market, so I was satisfied with my visit!

The first passage I visited was Passage Jouffroy, which had a variety of restaurants, and what I was hoping to find at the flea market – old books! There were several bookstores, with tattered copies of French novels spilling onto carts in the halls of the passage. It was fun to look through the old volumes.

Extremely close by is Passage-Verdeau, which I also strolled through.

Again, more beautiful French volumes.

I wish I would have picked up “Aux Pays Du Soleil,” because look at those red and gold tones.

I spent quite a bit of time browsing through stacks of books and checking out artwork sold from various shops, before it was time for me to make my way toward the Eiffel Tower.

On my way, I ended up walking through Place Vendôme, which is one of the spots my waiter from Gordon Ramsey au Trianon had recommended visiting.

The Colonne Vendôme is the towering centerpiece of the beautiful square.

The place was filled with fancy stores that I was too scared to step foot into, but admired from a distance, like this Louis Vuitton store, which was beautifully decorated for the holidays.

After my stroll through Place Vendôme, I accidentally found the Love Lock Bridge! It was a day of happy accidents!

In fact, I walked past a myriad of wonderful, beautiful interesting things.

Including this building – it immediately caught my eye, in particular the bouquet of fresh flowers hanging below this plaque. I didn’t realize until afterward that the plaque states that within that house, several key members of the French Revolution gathered to give directions.

I also admired the French architecture as I walked.

Can I live here? Would that be alright?

Beautiful architecture, rich history, endless cafés – sign me up.

Eventually, what I dreamed of seeing for years came into view.

Luckily, I had gotten to the park a bit early, so I had time to walk around the Eiffel Tower and admire it in all its glory. And take many a shameless selfie.

My entry to the park was swift, and while I had to wait in line for a bit to get on the elevator to the top, I didn’t mind. I was bouncing on my heels, excited to be seeing the tower in person.

The views at the first level did not disappoint.

Like, okay, Paris, we get it, you’re freakin gorgeous.

I took my time walking around the first level, wanting to take in the view from all directions, soaking in every detail. Then I made my way to the second floor.

I took a minute to peer through the telescopes they had lined up on all sides.. By the time I got to this level, the sun was dipping into a deliciously golden sunset, adding to the beauty of the cityscape.

I was very excited to be here.

I really enjoy how genuinely dopey my smile is here.

After soaking in the sights and sounds of the Eiffel Tower up-close-and-personal, I wasn’t quite done. I wanted to see it light up.

However, I was famished, so I made what I thought was a lazy decision but ended up being a phenomenal choice. I bought a sandwich from a café on the second floor, and added in a box of macarons for good measure.

I’d heard it was quite the experience to take the stairs on the Eiffel Tower, and since I’d taken the elevator up, I decided to walk down. It took awhile, but it was indeed worth it. The trek offers a different perspective and vantage point that you breeze past while on the elevators. I would highly recommend it!

I walked to the Jardin du Trocadéro, where I found the perfect spot to sit, eat my sandwich, people watch, and enjoy the setting of the sun until it gave way to the dazzling light show.

Why is this photo of my baguette so romantic?

The even more important question is why was this sandwich so damn good? This was the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten in my life, and I’ve thought about it probably once a week since I returned from Paris. Was I just so hungry that anything would have tasted that good? Was it the scenery and my absolute bliss of being in Paris? Was there crack in the butter spread upon the baguette?

The world may never know, but I am willing to travel to Paris to try this sandwich again – you know, for science.

After chowing down on the mystery baguette sandwich, I took to my box of macarons, and yes I did all of them. Also for science.

I had a rose champagne, strawberry, hazelnut, and chocolate mint macaron. All were great, except the chocolate mint, for some reason.

As the sun set, Paris was like “Hey, we know this whole experience has been a literal dream, but we’re also going to TURN THE SKY INTO OUR COUNTRY’S FLAG.”

Tell me I’m wrong.

I used my age-old trick of asking a couple if they wanted me to take a photo of them, and then after they said yes, asked them to take a photo of me.

This couple insisted on using flash, which I think made me look like an alien, but, it also made the Eiffel Tower look like it’s photoshopped, so pretty much a win-win scenario here.

I didn’t really mind though. I was just happy to be in Paris.

I sat on a concrete ledge in the garden, patiently waiting for the Eiffel Tower to sparkle – yes, it sparkles. Every hour, on the hour, to be exact. While I waited, I contemplated on the monumental significance of the moment to me – read more about that here.

After spending several hours watching the Eiffel Tower glimmer, shine, stand on its toes while the sunset, I decided to head back to my hotel.

This is when I realized I had a problem.

I’d been relying on Uber to get me around Paris. However, it was extremely crowded around the Eiffel Tower, as you can imagine. I decided the best course of action would be to walk away from the tower until the crowd thinned enough to the point where I felt confident that an Uber would actually be able to make its way to me.

So I set off, toward fate, as I’ll explain it.

To get away from the Eiffel Tower, I had to walk toward it, which sounds counterintuitive, but trust me on this. As I grew close to the base of the tower again, I noticed a group of girls who were all wearing giant, fancy hats, and who seemed to be having the time of their lives. They burst out into laughter, and I smiled, knowing there was a group of people enjoying their evening so thoroughly. It’s joyful to be near joy.

And that, my friends, was when I literally saw the signs.

The Big Bus Tour signs, that is. If you’ll recall, I originally booked the Big Bus Tour for that day when I thought my Paris trip would only be four days, and when I had more time to explore the city, I decided to use the Big Bus Tour as cheap transportation – but that morning, decided to go my own way and abandon the Big Bus Tour.

But the Big Bus Tour never abandoned me.

I checked the schedule, and in just a few minutes, the very last bus of the night would be stopped at the Eiffel Tower.

I was absolutely giddy. What are the odds that I was stuck at the Eiffel Tower, unsure of how far I’d have to walk to find a place tolerable for an Uber driver to pick me up, when the last bus of the evening happened to be coming my way in just a few moments, for a bus tour I never thought I’d even make it on?

Plus, while I waited, this was my view.

Zero complaints were made to management.

As I waited, I began to shiver, as it was still winter and I’d been outside for some time. However, I heard the group of excited women emphatically state that they had to sit at the top of the bus, as it was the only way to do it. They were so carefree and happy, I decided to follow their lead.

So when that beautiful, giant red bus pulled around the corner, and the group of fancy-hatted women cheered, I boarded and made my way to the top. And it was an excellent decision.

I got to see Paris from the same level as the tops of the streetlights. I could have reached up and touched them.

Now, as I’ve mentioned, I’m not a super touristy person. Some things cannot be avoided. Some things should be seen. And some things, like these bus tours, make me cringe a little bit. But I absolutely cannot recommend enough taking a spin around Paris in one of these things in the evening. It was beautiful, and fun as hell.

Even more remarkably coincidental, the bus’s last stop after the Eiffel Tower was Galeries Lafayette Haussman, which was on my list to visit.

It felt like the universe was putting together all of the pieces for me.

As I went to snap one last selfie of myself in front of the Eiffel Tower, I accidentally captured this candid, and I love this photo – it captures the true joy that I’d felt for the first time in a long while because of this trip.

When we arrived at Galeries Lafayette, it was extremely crowded. COVID was beginning to uptick again, and I didn’t feel comfortable wading into a crowd of tourists that thick, so I simply observed from afar.

I had wanted to wander in and look at their Christmas decorations, which they are known for, but I ended up later receiving a recommendation to skip Galeries Lafayette, and head to Le Bon Marché instead, which was a fabulous recommendation.