Up, Up & Away

The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral and yesterday, the Arc de Triomphe – the steps that Chris, Sam and I have ascended during this holiday have been equal to several days on a Stairmaster … I hope. It may make up for the fact that everything we have put in our mouths seems to have been cooked, coated or confited in saturated fat…

While the view from the tower is brilliant and obviously much higher, I prefer the outlook from the Arc. Once at the top, one is perfectly positioned to take in the breadth and beauty of the entire city.

Atop the Arc de Triomphe

I especially love the sight of Sacre Coeur, perched high on the hill of Montmatre.The monument was designed by Napoleon to celebrate France’s remarkable victory at Austerlitz and although the arch was a brash and unashamed testament to his own power, I was a little sad when I discovered Napoleon died before its completion. He never had the opportunity to climb the stairs and look out at the city, but it was finished in time for his funeral procession to pass underneath. Better late than never, I suppose.

Today, our penultimate day in the city, we took Sam to bid au revoir to his favourite tower of all time, the Eiffel. We strolled underneath it and examined it from all aspects.

I was expecting tears when we left, but Sam was happy and at ease in the knowledge that he will return. He quizzed me about the towers of Canberra and I reminded him there was just one – Black Mountain Tower. I promised him we will visit it as soon as we’re home.

In playground under the ever-watchful eye of Mr Eiffel

Tomorrow, our final in the city, we’ll revisit the bird markets on the Ile De La Cite which Sam loved so much and then wander up to the Louvre. I don’t think I will be as stoic as Sam when I have to say goodbye to a city that I adore. The excitement of flying on an A380 and swimming in a hotel pool in Singapore has quashed Sam’s sadness. I, on the other hand, am quite positive that I suffer from whatever the opposite of homesickness is called.

A stripy art installation in the Palais Royale

Sam donates to an amazing troupe of classically-trained buskers

Note for busting (not busking) travellers: When in a non-Australian city I’m always on the look-out for decent public toilets. In Paris they are few and far between. On the walk down the Avenue des Champs Elysees on the way home from the Arc de Triomphe I spotted a sign on the footpath reading “Point WC. The Cleanest Toilet in Town”. I was hooked. I followed the directions on the sign and came to toilets/shop which charged, as a minimum, 2 Euros per visit. I was about to walk away, but I was intrigued. I paid my 2 Euros and was rewarded with a sparkling clean cubicle decorated like a library (book wallpaper, not actual books). When I finished a cleaner rushed in and scrubbed the cubicle. The soap was glorious, the sinks spotless and the towels fluffy. The shop sold toilet and bathroom paraphernalia with a massive selection of quirky toilet paper. After telling Sam and Chris about my adventure they ventured in and were ushered into a cubicle with find-a-word wallpaper. The price list had nothing to do #1s or 2s. The costs were simply an indication of cubicle size and the facilities within.