On our way back from the Palace of Versailles, we took the opportunity to get off at the Metro stop near the Eiffel Tower. Confession: I think the Eiffel Tower is one of those landmarks that is dreamy and romantic from afar - it denotes a sense of place in the Paris skyline or twinkling in the night sky - but up close, it's a tower made of iron that seems much more industrial and less magical. Nonetheless, it creates a balanced contrast with the sumptuous buildings of Paris. (I still love the whimsy and originality of you, Eiffel Tower! I just think practically every other building in Paris is architecturally breathtaking, too).
From the Eiffel Tower, we made our way to Notre Dame. This was one of those visits that unexpectedly turned into my most memorable from Paris. There were two lines to enter the church - one for visitors, and one for those attending Mass. The line for Mass was much shorter, and it was Sunday after all, so we stayed for the service. We didn't understand more than a word here or there but it was beautiful to share Mass in another language, fumbling my way through the hymns because I at least knew the melodies.
From there we strolled along the Seine River (how often do you get to say that sentence!?). It was a rare time of sunshine in the city and just an overall pretty time of day.
For dinner, we craved the Italian food of our earlier stops, so we hunted for something to fit the bill. We landed at La Taverne near our hotel. It was so overpriced compared to the reasonably priced authentic food we had enjoyed just days earlier, but it was still tasty and fulfilled our mozzarella, tomato and bread cravings. It's also where we learned that if you want to eat outside in the City of Light, prepare yourself to be surrounded by all the smokers (just keepin' it real, Paris).
