January 6th

We kept striking out this morning!

After getting in late last night we slept in a bit. When we got up and around we decided to walk to the Tour Eiffel. It is afterall only supposed to be a 2-5 minute walk (depending). We actually walked an extra block, but there it was in plain view - the Eiffel Tower! When we arrived we dodged all the vendors that stand around shaking keychains at you. We started snapping pictures and were making our way toward the ticket booth when we saw the sign that said Tower closed. Due to the ice and the freezing temperatures all levels were closed on the tower. By this point we were very cold (it doesn't take long) and Eric suggested that today would be a good day to see the Louvre instead. I thought this was a very good idea, so we made our way to the metro station to try again.

This time we purchased a 3 day pass (even though we won't be here for a full three days from this morning). We've already saved money by purchasing these. The metro was much better today compared to last night. It was much busier, but well-lit and there were more attendants around. We had no trouble getting to the current station for the Louvre. The metro is actually attached to a small shopping mall and food court, which are all attached to the Louvre. We decided to grab a bite to eat first since we slept past breakfast and hadn't had a proper meal the night before. The food court was a nice spot with a variety of foods. We played it safe by ordering a bacon cheeseburger and fries from one place and then getting some Indian food from another place. We shared the meals and then decided to head down to get tickets for the Louvre. The office was selling Museum passes, which are the best value for seeing the attractions we had planned. However, they were out of 2 day passes. We decided to just purchase the tickets without the pass. We then found out that the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays! So we decided to walk around the shopping area a bit. We walked through some interesting stores before deciding to head to the Notre-Dame Cathedral. We were determined not to let our first day be a bust!

We had no troubles finding the Cathedral and there was no line. We went straight in and started enjoying the beautiful stained-glass windows. It was beautiful! By this point, believe it or not, the sun was already setting, so the colors cast across the walls were gorgeous. Eric took some video of this on our camera. After enjoying the cathedral we decided to head for the Pantheon. We encountered some begars (including a really mean girl) and two interesting Egyptian "statues" who would bow everytime someone placed a coin at their feet. I thought they must have been really cold!

Back on the metro and then off again to find the Pantheon. We came out across from the Jardin de Luxembourg (typically a beautiful green park that houses a museum, among other things). It was beautifully covered in white from the snow. We took some beautiful photos and enjoyed walking for as long as we could stand the cold. Then it was back on the road to the Pantheon. On the way there we did see a Gap and stopped in. I was hoping to find a pair of tights (I only packed one pair and have worn them nearly every day) to layer under my pants. Unable to find any, I settled for a turtleneck to layer and off we went. We reached the Pantheon and began exploring. Eric also took some video there that turned out really well. We can't wait to show everyone back home! We stopped by a street vendor on the way back to the metro and got a chocolate crepe. It was warm and gooey and really good and messy!

From the Pantheon we decided to head back to our hotel to warm up before we had dinner. On our way back we decided to stop by the grocery store just down the block to pick up some fresh fruit. We got some bananas, "petit carrottes", and yogurt for some healthy snacks. We came back to the room and used the internet and researched some places for dinner. In the end we decided to try the Italian restaurant next door (we have several cafes around us). You never know if a place nearby will be good or not, but this time we were really pleased. We ordered a pizza and pasta to share. The pizza was a 3 ham (ham, chorizo, and some sort of shoulder ham), and the pasta was penne with tomato sauce and basil. Both were very good. The pizza certainly didn't last long! The staff were very friendly and spoke to us in English and were really kind. Eric has had some really good steaks on the trip so far, but to me, this was one of the best meals I've had here. The pizza was really fantastic!

From here we bundled up again and headed to the Eiffel Tower again to see it lit up at night. It really is a gorgeous sight! The first level was open this time, so we decided to go up. There was very little wait and up we went. It is all exposed to the air though, so we walked around for some time and then went into the cafe. We shared a hot chocolate and enjoyed the views and the informative displays and pictures from inside. We went back out just in time to catch the lift back down and take a few more pictures before heading back to our hotel for the night.

Two notes: We are hoping that the cold won't continue preventing us from seeing so many beautiful sights. For instance, in both the Pantheon and the Notre-Dame Cathedral, there are usually towers and areas you can go up in to see panoramic views of the city. Both were closed today due to the weather. At the Eiffel Tower the gentleman in front of us asked the clerk if she knew when the top would be open again and she said she hoped perhaps tomorrow. It will all depend on the weather.

Second note: The French people have all been really nice to us. From other trips we have had first-hand bad experiences with French tourists and we have heard bad stories, as you may have too. People have been really helpful though and generally speak to us in English if we ask. We always try to make an effort speaking in French or showing them what we want. Tonight we had a problem with Eric's ticket for the metro going through. He actually had to hop the entrance once because his three-day ticket was showing up invalid. We arrived at an occupied ticket booth on our way back and the lady was very helpful. We've really been blessed with great service so far. On the same note we wish we could return the favor. Several people have come up to me to ask for help or directions. The problem is that I have no clue what they are saying. I have to just tell them that I don't speak French. Tonight there was a man with his family (including 2 little ones) asking for directions and we just directed them back to the clerk at the window because we didn't speak French.

Alright, well its time for bed again. We have a busy day planned for tomorrow. We love you all!