Paris, the City of Lights, is a common bucket list destination, mine included. So, when choosing which really long flight option from Beijing to Dallas I should take, I chose the route that stopped in Paris for fourteen hours after Doha. With a layover that long, I had time to get into the city and see a few things. Only problem was the time of the layover with an arrival time after 9 p.m. No problem, I thought to myself. I can have my own “Midnight in Paris” experience. Amazingly, it lived up to most of my expectations!
Eiffel Tower
Top of my list for Paris—the Eiffel Tower—a bucket list destination. The tower is open until 1 a.m. during the summer, so I got a reservation at 11 p.m. I rode the bus from Charles de Gaulle directly to the tower and arrived right on time.
The bus route essentially drove around it before dropping me off. I already had the chills just realizing I was in Paris. Seeing the Eiffel Tower in person was practically ecstasy after driving by the Arc de Triomphe.
I hurriedly walked to the tower and got up as quickly as possible. My ticket was only for the second level and not the top since that was already sold out when I made my online reservation. There was a chance to get a standby ticket to the top when I arrived. However, when I was up on the second level, I found the line waiting to ascend the rest of the way wrapping halfway around the platform and no additional tickets left. Not to worry, I was already experiencing a personal milestone in travel, and the second level is still pretty darn high and above everything.
I walked around the platform mesmerized by the lines of the steel and the gracefulness of the swooping and rising trusses. On the hour, it started sparkling and glittering as hundreds of lights scattered around the tower flickered and danced. Everyone stood still and gasped because an amazing experience just got more magical.
After walking down to the first level and exploring the views from there as well, I descended the tower via the stairs. The lines for the elevators were too long, and taking the stairs would give me more time to enjoy the architecture.
Once at the bottom, I wandered down the promenade to the side to see the tower from the ground. I watched the lights dance from there then headed on the rest of my adventure.
