Euro Day 15 - Real Paris

Our train out of Paris was at 7:30pm but knew the troops needed a little fuel (sleep and food) to make it through the day.  Luckily our hotel had a very nice buffet and we all had a leisurely breakfast.

We were staying in the La Defense area of Paris which is the most modern section of Paris with some interesting sculptures.

We took the subway a few stops down towards the Arc De Triomphe  Paris has a nice efficient subway system but it can be pretty crowded - especially when you have tourists and all their luggage trying to cram on the train.  Karen was relieved to be off that train.

We walked down Avenue des Champs-Élysées where Kelsey gave me a much needed education on fashion and style.It was a very nice Saturday and the atmosphere was relaxed bu you know you are at a high security level when you notice there is a bag check at the McDonalds.  There was excitement around the the local clubs signing of Neymar Jr - as there was a line a block long to get into a store to buy a jersey.

Next was the Eiffel Tower which, like great art, looks spectacular at a distance but some of the shine comes off when you get too close.  First you are hit will all the security fencing and new security trailers that everyone must past through to get underneath the structure.  Then you are accosted by all manner of "vendors" trying to sell you crappy trinkets, booze or engage you in a game of 3-card Monte.  Seems like the worst of both worlds from the government - all energy put towards security and a laissez-faire attitude towards all the illegal activity.  I have no idea how the security makes you any safer, as it just seems to centralize people into places to make them easier to target. 

Summer crowds make matters worse with lines to buy tickets to climb the tower and then there was announcement of a 45 minute delay to get down once you ascended.  So we decided not to climb and just hang out in the adjacent park and enjoy the sunshine for  bit.

Next stop was a cruise down the Seine river.  A Karen favorite as it allows great views of many of Paris attractions with commentary in English.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon wandering around Paris snaking our way to the train station that would take us back to Ghent.  A spirited round of Hearts made the 90 minute journey to Brussels go by in a flash.

Certainly a whirlwind tour through the City of Lights but gave the kids a small taste of Paris.