YeinJee's Travel Journal

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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We boarded on a cruise to tour Seine River at 830pm. I was a bit sceptical about the night tour at the beginning; my perception was that a day tour would be more fitting to see Paris… but after the tour, I was totally convinced that it was a right choice.

Pont-Neuf, which means ‘New Bridge’, is ironically the oldest standing bridge in Paris (left); Musée d’Orsay (The Orsay Museum), formerly a train station, now an art museum

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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

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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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Stonehenge is one of the most mysterious places in England, probably around the world as well. I always wanted to visit Stonehenge; the rock formation has been on my must-visit list ever since I first learned about it on TV when I was around 5. Seems like my childhood dream came true.

Photo of the Stonehenge

The Stonehenge was first erected more than 5000 years ago and being re-modified (categorized into 3 phases in general) until the most recent at around 1600BC.

There are a number of hypothesis for Stonehenge, but nobody really knows who and why they built the monument. The stones are said to be arranged astrologically and the general belief is that it was built for worship purpose.

My sister who visited the site earlier had warned me that the stones are much smaller than expected… it’s true. Stonehenge isn’t as gigantic as I anticipated, but it’s still pretty huge though. Set the size aside; I was really glad that I was able to see Stonehenge with my own eyes, it was a wonderful feeling.

What I didn’t expect was that the location of Stonehenge is actually pretty close to a highway (you can see the cars from the site). Modern development vs. prehistoric monument… such irony.

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

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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.

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We were dropped nearby Bath Abbey and allowed our own free time. My first destination in Bath… the Roman Baths.

The Great Bath of Roman Baths

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