Boxing Day - our last day in Paris

Yesterday, Christmas Day, we dined at the Jules Verne restaurant on the 2nd level of the Eiffel Tower.  Another over-the-top meal, as this place also has a Michelin Star.  The elevator up the side of the leg of the tower was - well, terrifying.  I assume this lift was more or less original equipment or at least original design.  I was pretty sure that, as Jar Jar Binks would say "We's a all gonna die."

It was a complete mob scene at the base of the tower.  I can't imagine what it would be like during peak tourist season.  Hopefully I will never have to find out.

This morning (Boxing Day) we woke to sunshine - the first we've seen since our arrival.  It was dazzling, especially shining on the buildings and monuments that feature gold gilded components like this one:

We took up Julie's suggestion and took in the first elevated park in the world - called the Promenade Plantee, or the Couree Verte.  Like the High-line in Manhattan (which was inspired by this park), it's built atop an old railroad viaduct that was originally operated in the 1850s.  

Since it's older than the High Line and has had more time to get established, the trees and landscaping are far more mature and look great, even in winter.  Amazingly, the roses were still blooming.

We then decided to head over to the Sacre Coeur, probably the 2nd most famous church in Paris.  While we were dining in the Eiffel Tower, we could see this church far in the distance, sitting atop a fairly good sized hill.  We figured the view from their would be worth taking in, especially on a clear sunny day.  What we didn't know was that the subway station that you use to get to the church is deep underground - and we had to climb YET ANOTHER DAMNED CIRCULAR STAIRCASE - and this one was longer than any we'd encountered so far.  I've learned to hate circular staircases.  French torture devices. 

This isn't one of our pics - but it's still a nice photo of the Sacre Coeur.

So tonight, we finish up the trip with a tour of the Paris Catacombs, then back to reality tomorrow morning when we head back to CDG and start our journey home.  It's been a great trip, but one of the things we love best about living in San Francisco - it's always a pleasure coming home to the City by the Bay.

As we've dug deeper into the Parisien landscape, we've found more typical urban conditions that plague the other major cities in the western world - graffiti, homeless encampments, and extreme poverty.  Paris is clean, though.  In spite of one of the highest smoking rates in the western world, the city isn't covered in cigarette litter.  You still see shopkeepers sweeping their sidewalks and curbs every morning.  It's a great city, and we look forward to returning.