I have the feeling this blog is going to have a loooot of pictures

So that tour was yesterday. A few of the girls went out afterwards to check out some bar they'd heard of and/or to see the Eiffel Tower at night, but the rest of us took the Métro back to our apartments. Paul had warned us that the people on the Métro can be a little weird, and we're definitely finding that to be true. If a car is totally empty, for instance, and you plop yourself down in a seat, the next person on the train may come and sit RIGHT next to you, and then you are forced to have an awkward "excusez-moi" encounter when your stop arrives. Also the men have no reservations about staring at you if you happen to be a youngish, moderately attractive woman. One of the girls in our group even said that a guy licked his lips at her in the Métro the other day. Paul assures us, however, that Paris is exceedingly safe.

Molly and I decided to wait until today to see the Eiffel Tower. We're going to be visiting it for our Paris by Site class, but it's not until the end of the semester and it seems odd to live in Paris for four months and not even see its most famous landmark. She lives in the 16e arrondissement, so she's not all that far from the Tower, but I'm more centrally located in the 6e, so I had to take three Métro lines to get there this morning. None of the stops are right on top of the Tower, though, so I had to get out and walk for the last fifteen minutes. I walked down the Boulevard de Grenelle and turned the corner, looking at my handy Paris Pratique guidebook to make sure I was going in the right direction. According to the map, I was close-- I looked around to see if I could spot the Tower on the skyline. Nothing to the left. I turned to the right and literally gasped.

There it was, right in front of me, the feat of engineering that turn-of-the-century Parisians abhorred as an ugly, industrial eyesore, but which has since become a symbol for their beloved city and its brilliant ingènieurs. It's one thing to see something over and over again in pictures and movies, but to get off the Métro and wander uncertainly down the Quai de Grenelle until you find yourself within mere blocks of it is quite another. I followed the dirt concourse of the River Seine, casting not-so-furtive touristy glances at the world-famous monument across the street, and smiled at the thought of that first moment, the sharp inhale and realization of "oh my God, there it is." This was why I had come to Paris. I want life to take my breath away.

As I got closer I got better pictures.

I met up with Molly under the Tower. We dodged some Bosnian beggars asking for money and got in line for a ticket to the première étage, mostly because it was cheapest to only go to the first floor, and we'll be climbing to the top with our class in June.

From the first floor of the Eiffel Tower the people look like tiiiny ants standing in line to overpay for their tickets.

On the first floor there was some sort of global warming exhibit, which included this ridiculous picture of a seal.

It's me in front of the River Seine!

Molly poses next to what is undoubtedly the smallest taxi in Europe.

Sorry Ji Li, I don't buy my Asiatic Specialties from traitors.

The text on this news magazine says "Generation Obama: Can he change America?"

The bunnies are freaking scary! Look at their eyes!

Easter is so much more intense in France than it is in the States-- at least the candy. We went to a Monoprix, which was sort of the equivalent of a Meijer, and there were entire aisles devoted to this specialty Easter candy. You can get chocolate rabbits of all shapes and sizes, in addition to eggs, bells, snails, seashells, roosters and fish.

And, apparently, Strawberry Shortcake! But in France she's called Charlotte aux Fraises (Strawberry Charlotte).

They sure do love Mr. Propre!

And that concludes the photo tour for today. Tonight we're going back to the Eiffel Tower to see it all lit up, and then out for dessert to celebrate Elizabeth's birthday. Au revoir!