Monet and a certain tower...

Today we toured the most visited monument in the world...it was an architectural masterpiece when it was built for the Worlds Fair in the 1880...and originally Parisians hated it and wanted it torn down as soon as possible. Did you guess where we went? The Eiffel Tower! We had gotten tickets for a certain time to go up online, it is usually very crowded with long lines. There are basically 3 levels above ground. We went to the 2nd floor first-terrific views but low enough to make out the buildings and monuments. I was pretty nervous going up in the elevator to the very top-you are in a glass elevator and the tower is easy to see through so you feel like there is little between you and the ground! The top was very windy and surreal. You can see well beyond Paris to the country hills nearby, 40 miles in clear weather. On the way down we stopped at the first floor and walked down. Incredible!

We also visited the Orangerie museum today with Monets famous rooms of water lilies. He painted on 4 canvases stitched together, and hung the large scale works on each of 4 walls in 2 difference rooms! It shows his famous water lilies at Giverny at different times of the day. We also saw some more Impressionist works in a separate gallery there.

For our last evening in Paris we enjoyed another exquisite cafe dinner, and went back to see the Eiffel tower sparkle at night. Tomorrow I'll be writing from Switzerland!