We arrived at the station ~10 am for our 11:29 am train. BUT...we soon found out...there was a train strike (a public transportation strike) and only a few trains were still running! We had to change our tickets for a later train and instead of arriving in Paris around 1 pm, we got there ~5:30 pm (with a transfer in Tours). At least we managed to get there!
We arrived at Gare Montparnasse and took a taxi to Hotel du Senlis. We checked in and ate some snacks in our room (#17). We re-organized and set out for La Tour Eiffel. We walked to the Cluny-Sorbonne metro stop and because of the strike, we didn’t have to buy tickets! The metro was very easy to use and we soon arrived at the Bir-Hakeim stop. From here we walked to the Eiffel Tower and stopped along the Seine to watch boats.
We wandered around some parks and people-watched until our ticket reservation at 8:30 pm. It was extremely crowded and I was very glad that we pre-purchased our tickets online – it probably saved us 2 hours of standing in line!
We took the first elevator to the 2nd floor, then stood in line for the top floor. We eventually made it to the very top of the tower as the sun was setting.
We left the Eiffel Tower ~10:30 pm and walked back to the metro, riding it to our stop near the Sorbonne. We stopped for a snack and drinks at one of the cafés on a square looking out onto an old university building. I drank some Muscat and we shared a really good cheese plate with: Saint-Nectaire (tasted like clams!), camembert (mushroomy!), chèvre (goat cheese), and a delicious gorgonzola (hard and slightly cheddar-like). We returned to the hotel rather late tonight (after midnight) and turned in, ready for our first full day in Paris tomorrow!
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