Tuesday we stopped at the bakery near our campground. It's a tiny hole in the wall filled with the most amazing baking! ( o.k Laurie maybe not as good as your baking lol) Darius chose a tuna baguette, Belia and I had quiche, and the rest had stromboli. We sat on the grass near the train station to eat, and then caught our train. We got off our train at Auber, and started exploring Paris near the Opera House. The first thing that we noticed was the high end shops - we happened to be on the famous street of Champs Élysées. Many of the stores were ritzy to the point that they had someone at the door escorting anyone you came through their small doorway. This was a fun place to window shop. The next area we found was the Tuileries -a beautiful garden area with fountains, a carousel, and a fun park for the kids. I was shocked to see a couple arguing loudly and then proceed to slap each other .... in the face, and many times! No one payed attention. The man walked away and the lady chased after him, which resulted in more slapping and yelling. Finally the the man left and the lady sat on the steps to the Tuileries looking distraught for a long time. No one noticed. We moved on to a large fountain stopping for a snack we brought with us from the bakery. Our next stop was the Place de la Concorde, where many people were beheaded during the French Revolution, including King Louis XVI, and Marie Antoinette. Interestingly this square was once named Place Louis XV by Louis XVI's father; little did he know that his son would one day die there. Today an obelisk, over 3,000 years old stands in the center; a gift from Egypt. Darius has read about this obelisk, also known as Cleopatra's needle, and was excited to see it in person. Just getting the Obelisk from Egypt to Paris was quite a feat. From this spot we hired 2 cycle carts to drive us from Place de la Concorde to the Eiffel Tower. First they took us through a busy traffic circle, and then through a few streets before crossing the Pont Alexandre III bridge. This arch bridge crossing the Seine is absolutely beautiful. The bridge has lamp posts lining lining both railings, as well as statues with gold accents. An elegant gold ribbon decorates the bottom edges of both sides. On the bridge we stopped to watch a model in the middle of a fashion shoot. She must be an accomplished model because later we saw her leave in a large motor home with attendants. It was interesting to see her posing, looking glamorous with a beautiful smile, and then when the photographers quit shooting she appeared exhausted and snooty. As the Eiffel Tower came into sight Belia started getting really excited. They must have painted it recently because it looked perfect. Brennin and Belia were surprised that it is a light shade of brown, almost beige, they expected it to be silver and more metallic. I was frustrated when inconveniently I needed a washroom. Paris is not helpful when it comes to bathrooms, which explains the smell in metro stations and stairwells. I finally found one with a note saying it would be closed for the next two hours. Feeling desperate we went to a back street and found a restaurant. We ordered some wine so we could use the washroom. The waiter was not very friendly. After some token pictures by the Eiffel Tower we headed home. Can't wait till Saturday to go up the tower at 10:30 p.m. The view and lights should be gorgeous.