Seine Cruise and Eiffel Tower

One evening we headed across the city on the metro to the Eiffel Tower. We had booked a tour which included an evening boat cruise on the Seine and a "skip the line" trip up the elevator to the second level of the tower. We weren't sure how long it would take us to get there so we arrived way too early. The area around the metro station, crowded with other tourists and cheap souvenir stops, was not very appealing. Fortunately, the atmosphere improved as we approached the tower.

Two of our old friends who were joining us on this trip had also arrived in Paris.

Finally the skies darkened, and we assembled for the cruise. I had assumed that the boat would be full of other people who had booked the evening tour, but our group consisted of no more than 20 people among the 200 or so people on the boat. Could we have just booked boat tickets on our own at a lower price? I felt like I had been mislead, but the tour guide was pleasant and helpful so I didn't complain.

As we got underway, lights on the tower began to sparkle as they do for 5 minutes at the start of each hour. The brightly lit carousel near the base of the tower, added to the spectacle. Unfortunately, the sparkling lights don't show up very well on still photographs. You need a video to appreciate them.

We passed the D'Orsey Museum and Notre Dame and other beautiful buildings I couldn't identify as we sipped the glasses of champagne included in the tour. Although it was Thursday, it felt like a weekend evening. Music filled the air, and many other boats packed with revelers cruised nearby.

After the cruise, our little group gathered under the Eiffel Tower and our guide told us interesting facts about it. The iconic tower, built for the 1889 World's Fair, was designed by Gustave Eiffel who also designed the metallic structure for the Statue of Liberty. It was the tallest structure in the world, and it remained so for over 40 years until the completion of the Chrysler Building. Its design was viciously criticised by some of the most influential artists of the time, but fortunately the general public felt differently about it. Although the tower was originally supposed to be taken down after 20 years, it ultimately proved to be useful for scientific observations and experimentation and served an important role in wireless telegraphy, especially during the world wars.

After admiring the tower from below, we headed for the elevator which would take us to the second level. At the time of our visit, access to the top was closed for maintenance, but we only wanted to go to the second level anyway. The staff hustled us through the two security check points while they grumbled at us that the tower was closing in 15 minutes. So much for "skipping the line". At this time of day there was no line.

The souvenir shops and food counters that populate the second floor were all closing, but it didn't look like they were selling anything interesting. The view was amazing, but a cold wind was howling and we were ready to go when the staff hustled us back down the elevator.

Outside the tower, aggressive young men from Africa were hassling straggling clumps of tourists to buy little models of the sparking tower. It was late, and we were tired and leery of riding the metro at night. We decided to call an Uber and thus experienced our first death-defying French driving experience.

Although the area around the Eiffel Tower leaves much to be desired, the cruise up the Seine was delightful, the view from the second level is awesome, and the tower inself is quite impressive.