FRANCE 7 - Rue Cler and The Eiffel Tower

On our third day in Paris, Aaron had to work again.  I became even braver and not only took the metro on my own again, but I actually switched trains in the middle of my journey!  I didn't get lost or jump on the wrong train!  Not bad for not knowing the language :)  

I got off at a stop near the Eiffel Tower and was set on finding Rue Cler.  I walked quite awhile in the rain and finally found it. 

 
Rue Cler is an entire street of open markets.  The neat thing about Paris is that each market carries it's own specialty.  So there were markets for cheese, fish, meat, flowers, produce, bread, and pastries... 

cheese market

 

Did I mention pastries?

Thankfully, the rain stopped!  And as I window shopped, I found my way back to the Eiffel Tower.


The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World's Fair.  It is 320 meters (1,050 feet) tall, which is the height of a 81-story building.  There was a lot of controversy surrounding the tower and most Parisians weren't too happy about it, which is ironic now that it is the most recognizable icon for France.  


Personally, I love the Eiffel Tower.  I took way too many pictures of it too :)

 

I walked and walked and walked!  I wish I had kept track of the miles somehow!  As long as I could see the Eiffel Tower I knew I would be able to find my metro stop and get back to the hotel.  It was fun to explore and chill (oh, and eat crepes next to the Eiffel Tower :) I don't know how many times I crossed the Seine on different bridges.  It was a fun day! 

fancy-shmancy apartment building in Paris!