It’s our anniversary. A very Parisian way to celebrate is to write your names on a lock, attach it to a bridge and throw the key into the Seine. The only problem is that so many people have been doing this that the Museum Bridge is suffering under several tons of locks. Yes, really. The city is now in the process of removing the locks and renovating the bridge. So much for a timeless declaration of love. We found another likely bridge near Notre Dame and attached a lock there (the turquoise one bottom center). (Just to be sure, we attached another lock to a fence at our house so we know that one, at least, will be there a long time.) Then we threw all of the keys into the Seine.
The rest of the day was pure tourism. We were awed by the scale and complexity of Notre Dame cathedral. Soaring to impossible heights, it makes people seem small. The statuary and stained glass told stories of the Bible, the Popes, and the saints to the illiterate masses. We tried to figure out who each one represented. Notre Dame was built over centuries and designed for the ages.
The Eiffel Tower is even taller. From a distance it’s a filagreed ornament. Up close, it’s an enormous feat of engineering with minimal materials, working out every stress so that the materials used weigh less than the air enclosed. Kristen braved over 700 steps to get a view of the city from above, while Jerry and I got a view of the Tower from below, and marveled at its construction. It was built in a little more than two years for the World’s Fair and originally intended to be taken down at the end of the fair.
Next, we went really touristy and took a boat tour. Actually, it was just a nice boat ride since the audio system wasn’t working.
One problem with being here this time of year is that sunset is about 10 pm. It’s hard to see the City of Light with its lights on. Kristen went out very late to see the Eiffel Tower lit up.