Panoramic view of Paris, from the 2nd level platform on Eiffel Tower…
Paris city and the beautiful Seine River
Paris city and the beautiful Seine River
2nd day in Paris… we had an early bus tour around the city before arriving at Eiffel Tower (La Tour Eiffel) at around 9.30am. The queue wasn’t very long; we waited for around 15 minutes and managed to squeeze into the elevator and get to the 2nd level of the tower.
Eiffel Tower look golden in early sunshine
There are 3 levels of platforms that are opened to public, and the entrance fees ranged from 4.50€ to 11.50€ for adults (using the elevator); level 1 and 2 is accessible by stairs (over 600 steps) as well, and with cheaper entrance fees. [Entrance fees reference]
The 2nd level platform (~115 metres) offers the best view of Paris, and the perfect range for photographs. [Read my next post for photos of the panoramic view of Paris] The 3rd level is probably too high to see the city in details.
Eiffel Tower is arguably the most visited landmark in the world; it has been visited by 229,623,812 visitors since its opening in 1889 until 2006. [Reference]
The tower (including its antenna) is 324 metres high, and was once the tallest building in the world; it is still the tallest building in Paris.
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A few more pictures taken at Notre Dame de Paris. You can read my stories about the cathedral from my previous post instead.
Lovely stained-glass windows seen from the inside of the cathedral
After a short break at the hotel, we hopped on to our bus again and headed for our first travel destination in Paris… the Notre Dame (Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris).
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I had never heard of Pulteney Bridge prior to the visit to Bath. According to our tour guide, the 18th century bridge is one of only four bridges in the world that has shop lots on both sides on the bridge.
Pulteney Bridge across River Avon
Photo of Bath Abbey
I grabbed a sandwich and found a bench just outside of the Bath Abbey’s West Front. They were some street performers playing musical instruments and doing some tricks at the small square; and a group of Japanese girls were there to show a short Japanese traditional dance too.
It took less than an hour for us to reach the City of Bath from Lacock. Bath looked splendid from distance with its unique yellowish architecture.
Our guide drove us around the city to see some places like the Royal Crescent and The Circus.
Most buildings in the city were built of limestone, which were originally yellowish (some said golden); but lots of the buildings looked dark and brownish because of the age and pollution.
The city was undergoing a massive restoration and cleaning during my visit in order to return the city to its yellowish appearance. Lots of roads were blocked because of this, and the traffic was pretty horrendous.
The Royal Crescent, a row of building that was built in an arch (crescent) shape. You can see from the pic that some parts of the building had been cleaned and looked more yellowish (the rest were darker)
Brief History of Bath
Bath is famous for its Roman baths which was built by the Romans during their occupation of Britain (43AD - 410AD).
Bath re-achieved its glory in the 17th century after Thomas Guidott published his work about the curative properties of the hot spring waters, which caught the attention of the country and the royals.
In the 18th and 19th century during the Georgian times, Bath was a resort city for the royals and the wealthy. Lots of the current Bath’s architecture was built during that period.
Lacock is a small place to navigate, and it’s impossible not to bump into the St Cyriac’s Church.
The wooden door of the entrance was pretty heavy; I got into the church and I was the only person around. The church was so quiet and peaceful, I felt like I could spend hours just sitting in the church even though I am not a Christian.
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