Eiffel, triumphe, and menu marvels

We woke up early and got in line for the Eiffel tower before too many others were clogging the lines. It always looks impressive in photos, but this is one of those sights that exceeds expectations. Believe it or not, we all rode to the top of the Eiffel tower (i had to hold on to - or, rather, cling to Jason during the elevator ride, but we made it). The view is breathtaking, and I do mean that literally. It was a bit cloudy, but still well worth the trip. We rode back to the 2nd level, and then took the stairs all the way down...down...down.

The French do everything beautifully. From giant towers to elegant clothing to gastronomic delights, beauty is the heart of this country. After climbing the Arch d'Triumphe, we settled for lunch at a cafe on the Champs Elysees and watched the fashion stroll by. Beautiful!

We took a tip from a friend and signed up for a bike tour of Paris at night. We met Andy, our fearless leader, at the base of the Eiffel tower, and set off on an adventure. With only flourescent vests and some bravado (apparently you don't need helmuts in Paris), we set out to battle the crazy traffic and see the city. Such fun! I almost crashed into a taxi, and Jason broke the chain on his bike, but somehow we managed to make it to the Seine river for a boat cruise (part of the bike tour). After much wine and laughter, we came ashore and steered our bikes a bit drunkenly back to the shop.

Afterwards we were all a bit hungry, so we stopped into a restaurant close to our hotel. The waitress explained that they only had a few options left (sausages, bread, and something we didn't understand). So we ordered some wine and enjoyed the "appetizers" she brought out. We never ordered anything, it just showed up on our table. They cleared the dishes, and then (much to our surprise) set a knife, fork, and warm plate in front of us. Out came a huge cast iron pot with huge pieces of rare beef and some kind of mushroom stuffing. It was incredibly good, even though we were full. They cleared the dishes, amd brought out fig crisp and creme brulee for each of us. All of this, and we didn't even order! By now it is 1:30am, and we are the only non-frenchies in the place. It was an authentic, three hour french meal. A true work of art, and something we will never forget.

Lessons learned today:
1. The only way to conquer your fears is to face them.
2. Eat where the locals eat...at midnight.
3. Find the beauty in everything, even the silly stuff.