Inside Out: Paris - Day Two

We were up and ready to go on Day Two of our trip. I was most excited to just get out into our neighborhood to see what happens in the early morning. I'd heard/read stories of how busy the streets are in the morning, especially the vendors stocking up for another day of business!

So, we headed over to see just what "our" charcoutierie (the butcher, remember?) was up to! We were just in time to see the day's delivery!

They were in such great moods and just loved that we were interested in what they were doing!

He even stopped to pose and I didn't have to ask!

I had NO idea that all of the beautiful meats in those cases were all carefully trimmed and prepped for their own cases. Our "meat cases" pale in comparison to these.....

It was somewhere about here where I started understanding that everything in Paris has an artistic flair......even the meat case. Check out these gorgeous tenderloins....oh, how I wanted to taste one of these.....

....but on that particular morning, I was happy to just look at these escargot (read: snails!) in the case. I really had no desire to try them (although we did...but that's another day).

For the moment, I just wanted to soak in how incredible it was to see so many gorgeous foods in the cases.....

But enough of that.....it was time to grab some pastries to have with our coffees/tea and then "hit the road" for another day of Parisian sights!

Oh, how I'd love to start every day off with a plate of these!

When we got back to the apartment, Melinda was up and ready to roll!!!!

Yes, that's the window in the living room in our apartment....it looks out over the courtyard. It's so PARIS!!

So, we hit the Metro and off to the Eiffel Tower we went! This was our first real view of it.....I just had to take the picture, even though I knew there were better ones to come!

Up close and personal......she's just gorgeous!

Up closer? Wow!

And closer? Oh dear!

Ready for a few stats? The Eiffel was built for the centennial celebration of the French Revolution in 1887. It was completed in 1889. It took 2.5 million rivets (yes, rivets), 18,038 pieces of iron (excluding the rivets) and 40 tons of paint to construct....by 300 iron workers....and over 2 years to construct! It is now a French icon.....and it's gorgeous!

Because the New Year holiday is the largest celebration of the year for the French, Paris was packed!!! There were unbelievable lines everywhere for every thing! We decided to forgo going up in order to be able to see other sights.....that and we just couldn't justify spending 4 hours in line in the freezing cold. THAT and it is definitely another excuse (read: reason) to come back!

We ventured over to the other side of the Eiffel, along the Seine....

The views down the river are beautiful....

Oh look....it's a boat! Oh wait, it's a restaurant....with heaters....and wine....and toilettes (at 75 cents per person). We decided to take a little break to warm up (inside and out)....