Bonjour!!! LOL!!! Welcome to Paris!!!

 Bonjour Blogees!  I hope that everyone is well!  We have safely touched down in Paris, France. 🙌

We make our way to baggage claim and then to grab a taxi.  I didn't know what to expect.  We hop into the cab and make our way to our Air BNB.  Our cabbie was zippin' in and out of neighborhoods trying to avoid the highway traffic.  He was quite impressive.  It was about a 60 minute ride to our place.  My head is on a swivel...I didn't know if my personal white elephant named the Eiffel Tower would suddenly appear!  Then...I turned my head to the left and there...just barely the top of the Tower appeared!  I immediately started welling up, looked at Antonia and started to cry (Gordon was taking a cat nap).  "I can't believe I'm here!"

We continued our journey through all types of neighborhoods, and I just enjoyed taking it all in!!!

We finally arrive at the Air BNB, but we arrive about 2.5 hours before check-in, and couldn't get an early check-in.  What should we do?!?!  We thought about using Stasher (that's a service where you can "stash" your bags for a period of time while you sightsee), but then we were also hungry.  There was a little cafe right next door to where we were staying. 

Wait ya'll as I look up....look what I see waving at me....

Now ya'll know that I cried again!!!!  It's right there!  I was telling the shop owner about my love for the Eiffel Tower and how I have wanted to see it for most of my life.  He said, "Oh, I see her everyday!"  Show off!!!  LOL!

We decided to park our luggage and ourselves down at the cafe and enjoy some good food.

Oh wait!  Before I continue...I have a PSA for you...you know a Public Service Announcement....

Attention Blogees!  If you ever decide to travel outside of your country for any amount of time, it is quite beneficial for you to take an array of medications with you.  Things like...Tylenol....Ibuprophen...let's see...maybe a nasal rinse.  Oh!  And definitely....always...some Immodium AD.  If you don't need these things that's great!  But if you are ever in the situation of dire circumstances....it's so much better to have them with you then to pay an arm and a leg at the airport!  Thank you.  This concludes this Public Service Announcement.

 This is our place, right next door.

So we went inside to place our order.  The owner, named Mariel was very sweet.  Gordon went with the lasagna with homemade pasta...

Me?  I went with 2 croissants and some prosciutto.  No, I did not sample Gordon's lasagna!  Didn't ya'll read my PSA!  I had to watch my stomach!!!!  LOL!!!

I was quite pleased with my choice!  There were just a few things that I wanted to eat during my time in Paris.  Croissants!  And Escargot!!!  (Yes, I greatly enjoy snails!!!  Don't judge!)  We also had some sorbet...yummy!

 Lemon!  With little chunks of lemon inside!

It's finally 4pm and Antonia receives the code to get into the Air BNB.

 I'll be kind and just say that it needed a woman's touch.  There's no need to dwell on the negative, right?!?!  We're in Paris!!!!  Could you hear my accent when I said that!?!?!? LOL!!!

We decide to not let the grass grow under our feet, it's time to roll!  We're about a 20 minute walk to the Eiffel Tower and you would think that would have been my request for our first stop, but those of ya'll who really know me know how much me and Gordon love a good thrift store!  And where better to thrift than in Paris?!?!  And there was a shop about a 10 minute walk away.  Btw...how did we travel and keep our sanity before we had cell phones and GPS!?!??!  I'm just saying.  The struggle used to be real!!!

Walking down the streets, just taking it all in...

We arrived at the shop...there was a lot going on, but it was fun!

This was the owner of the store!  Her name was Sonia.  She was very sweet.  She could understand English better than she could speak it.  But hand gestures are universal.  LOL!!!

Ok....now it's time to head in the direction of the Eiffel Tower. 

 Toilet???? Ugh!!!

 Gordon spots a shop!!!

Okay...okay...we're going!  We're going!  LOL!

Did I cry yet again?!?!  Come on!  You guys know me better than that....Of course I cried!!!  LOL!

You can tell this was definitely my portion of the trip was that when I was all giddy about seeing the Tower....Gordon walked by to watch this....LOL!

 Yep!  Basketball!  Aye!

Okay, we have reservations the next day for the Eiffel Tower so we're going to head back to the flat and try to find something to eat enroute.  Did we find something good to eat?!?!  Boy did we ever!!!!

 A Zinc Burger

 and Escargot!!!!

 They were so fresh!!!!  Didn't I say not to judge me!?!?!  LOL! My belly was feeling better!  LOL!

It's the next day and I had to try a chocolate eclair. It was quite tasty!!!

 I want to move into this shop!  LOL!

 They were selling octopus at the street bizarre!

 The street bizarre was fabulous!

 Then we finally reach the Tower....

 

I must say that I always thought that you could just freely walk up to the Eiffel Tower.  Like when you see it on TV that's how it appeared to me.  That couldn't be further from the truth.  Whether for monetary or safety purposes or probably both, you must purchase a ticket go thru two different security checks to get to the Tower.  

But our ticket reservations weren't until 4pm, we had booked a hop off hop on boat ride.  Antonia really wanted to see Notre Dame, and the streets were crazy with traffic.  So we decided that the boat was the better option.

 It was really hot for the Parisians.  I mean I guess it was warm, but they are used to 73 degree temps, and this day it was about 93.  With mostly no AC in the buildings and homes I can see how it could be distressful.

So I showed you a pick of a "street toilet" earlier, so I was a bit fearful of having to use the toilet as they call it over her.  But at Notre Dame, they did have public toilets.  Antonia and I were a bit fearful walking down the stairs into what seemed like the dungeon in the Phantom of the Opera!  LOL!  But then we were pleasantly surprised.  You had to pay 2 Euro...but it was really worth it!!!

We then were heading back to the boat, but then saw the little stands with the vendors along the river!  I cannot believe that I didn't get a pictures!!!

 Antonia was desperate for some ice...so she sat down at a restaurant ready to offer money for ice!  LOL!!!  They were a bit stingy with their ice!  LOL!  But then the boat arrived and she still didn't get any ice!  Sorry Antonia!

 Oh!  There was this family on the boat that were over the top Americans!  So embarrassing!  There was a woman with her mother and she had 3 or 4 or 20 children!  LOL!  At one point the mom lost track of the toddler...on a boat...in the middle of the River Seine!  The mom starts screaming his name!  It was just a hot mess!  Then they wanted to know how long it would take for the boat to reach back to the Eiffel Tower, they told her 20 minutes.  She starts freaking out again saying they needed to get off, but the boat started moving!  LOL!  They finally got off at the next stop...but they must did not see the traffic cuz it would probably take them 45 minutes by car and add an extra 3 hours were trying to wrangle the brood!  So this was one of the boat workers telling the other boat workers about this family!  LOL!  Hot...mess!!!!  But anywho!!!

 Antonia and I hopped off the bus at the Eiffel Tower, Gordon continued on the boat!

 We're inside....I'm so excited!!!

 The color of the Tower has changed over a dozen times over the years.  The first color it ever was was this red.  Did you know that they paint the tower by HAND!!!!!  Mind blown!

 Ya'll know that I had to call my Mommy from up here!  "Mom!  Guess where I'm calling you from?!?!?"

 Glass floor....not for me!

 Antonia was all for it!  But I weight way more than she does!  LOL!

What a day!  Tired and having an early morning to depart Paris by the Eurostar train to London we needed to get back!

Until then...thanks for reading and proofreading!  Au revoir!