Today we visited the immense iron asparagus along the Seine:
Gustave Eiffel's 324-m-high tower.
The security perimeter around the tower is being redefined so a lot of construction work on the ground adds to the chaos of tourists converging under the tower. It feels like a badly organized airport.
We headed for the first floor 58 meters above and found the fine restaurant 58-Tour-Eiffel.
Thanks to KIT's sponsorship we ate and enjoyed an absolutely splendid lunch while we also enjoyed this view:
"Our" shadow points towards the Trocadero complex north of the Seine and with La Défence skyscrapers in the far background.
Encouraged by the wine and the haute cuisine we decided to take the stairs all the 342 steps up to the second floor – and the 342 steps down again to the first floor. A welcomed exercise, and we had no intention of reaching the top.
It is, indeed, difficult to get enough of the magnificent views from up here.
Here is the Quai Branly museum and the Russian orthodox Cathédrale de la Sainte-Trinité, – with the Basilique Sacré-Coeur on Montmartre on the horizon.
Eventually we walked across the Seine and entered the Musée de l'Homme (the left section of the Trocadero complex) to visit an exhibition about our distant ancestors:
The Neanderthalers.
These tough forebears of ours met with modern people many times and interbred to a certain degree.
Therefore, most Europeans nowadays have 1-4% Neanderthal genes in the DNA.
One should be proud to have a little bit of the old folks inside oneself.
Apparently, the Neanderthalers had a useful invention on the drawing board already long, long ago.
The wireless flint pad.
Mamma Néa was in the museum too and wanted to sell us a book about her family.
We sneaked passed her and got a table in the museum café with one of the best views in town.
Et voila! That was that Thursday in Paris.
