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Day 7: July 1, 2024
A quick brush-up on some key French phrases, and then on to one of the highlights of the trip for many of us: the Eiffel Tower. We headed straight there, this morning, to get some group pictures in a side street, with the Eiffel Tower behind us, and then moving closer, to look at this impressive 300m-high construction, marvelling at its enormity, and noting the names of those who served to inspire the Tower's construction, and the five Olympic rings attached to it, ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games. After this, we took the 'Métro' to just outside one vast former station and now art gallery, the Musée d'Orsay, and crossed the Seine, to the Louvre's infamous glass pyramid, from which we entered the museum, spending a few fascinating hours poring over the Mona Lisa - or 'La Joconde', as they call her in France.
As familiar with the Parisian 'Métro' system as we had become with the London 'Underground', we headed up to an outdoor 'Pétanque' playing area where we were taught to play this classic French bowling game, alongside locals playing in a tournament. It really gave us a flavour of how the French - young and old - enjoy to spend their free time!
Next, on to our dinner destination: seated at a roadside café, we sampled 'Croque Monsieur', a classic toasted French sandwich, with ham and cheese, and a side salad. In the warmth of a Parisian summer's evening, we could see the golden dome of 'Les Invalides', an enormous military museum, and the intermittent shouts of joy, as Parisians in nearby bars and cafés enjoyed witnessing the national team knocking Belgium out of the UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament!
Our last stop, before returning to our hotel, took in large swathes of visitor attractions on the banks of the Seine, as we took an early evening river cruise, soaking up museums, government buildings, stunning bridges, Notre Dame Cathedral and, of course, the Eiffel Tower!
With full bellies and full hearts, we headed back to the hotel, for some sleep, before departing for Switzerland in the morning.