Breakfast.  I like coffee for breakfast and thats usually all I need to make it till lunch.  So my mornings are spent sipping coffee and waking up to the world, while I watch my wife eat eggs, toast, pastries and hot chocolate.  Of course she would prefer pancakes and waffles, but that is not on the parisian breakfast menu.  A big, heavy breakfast apparently is not how the french do mornings.

Even though she did not get to indulge in her usual carb filled breakfast, she did say that she found the absolute BEST beignets.  If you get to Paris, do yourself a favor and hit an Eric Kayser.  It will be worth it.

Next we headed to the Arc de Triumph.  We decided to take a taxi as it was a pretty long walk from the 5th Arrondissement.  We found the taxi’s fairly priced in Paris, verses taking the metro.  The convenience of stepping out the door to hail a cab that took us directly to our destination far out weighed dungeon crawling the various tubes, tunnels, crowds and connecting trains of that subway system.  The taxi is a few dollars more, but the time saved is far more important to us.  We figured since we are only in Paris for a few days, we might as well spend our time seeing what we want and not spend all our time trying to get to those places.  Plus, the view out of the taxi window was much better than the graffiti spattered concrete of the metro.

The arc de triumph looks just like it does in every picture, but there is a lot of detail that you wouldn’t otherwise notice unless you were up close.  It is grand and historic, but don’t feel the need to go back.  The coolest part of the Arc was the tunnel that leads to it.  What is not in every picture of the arc is that it sits in the middle of one of the busiest round a bouts I have ever laid eyes upon.  Several streets feed into the massive intersection five lanes wide with no lines or signs to indicate what the hell is going on.  The only rule I could determine from the organized chaos was Do Not Stop! Hence the tunnel was built so stupid tourists don’t get run over. The top of the Arc is accessible for a fee, but we opted not to pay whatever it was because we headed to the Eiffel tower next.

Ah, my charming wife in from of the Eiffel tower.  And me, proud of myself for getting both she and the tower into the frame.  It’s no secret that I am camera challenged.  My wife is the photographer hobbyist.   There are so many different places to view the eiffel tower from, I don’t know that and one is better than another.  If you have the time just wander around the area.

We arrive for our scheduled appointment to take a lift to the top of the tower.  My wife purchased the tickets before we left for our trip and I have to say it wired out great as we passed up waiting in a fairly long line at the bottom.  However, after the first lift to the middle landing, we did have to wait in a good 30 minute line for a lift to the top.  Oh well, what can you do, your here so you might as well wait it out to get there.

Eiffel Tower

Once we finally made it to the top I suddenly realized how unsecured I felt.  Are you sure this thing was built to code?!  I almost felt like I should feel it moving in the wind.  As my wife urged me to stand along the edge for the picture below, I had my first panic attack.  So high up, so unstable.  My wife kept oohing and ah-ing at the views and all I could think was – I gotta get down, NOW!

Here is a picture of the park below.  The views really are stunning and you can see forever (provided it’s not overcast as it was the day we were there).  Overall I am glad I had the experience of going to the top, but I am far more glad that I made it back down.  Sorry to my wife if she ever wants to go back up on our next visit, as she will be going up there without me.

Published by daddyandmefoodie

Hi, my name is Dawson. There is a whole world out there and I want to see as much as I can with my beautiful wife and amazing daughter. It is never too early or late to discover new places and what people eat there. Born and raised in a small town in California, I've led a simple life that leaves me craving far off destinations. My mom taught me the basics of cooking and I have been working in kitchens, delis, bakeries and cafeterias ever since. So along with recommendations of cool spots to eat, I will also add a few recipes here and there to share with everyone what I have been sharing with my family. View all posts by daddyandmefoodie