A wintry Eiffel Tower

Over the Christmas break, we made a point of getting out of the suburbs and visiting Paris a bit more. Although we spot the Eiffel tower all the time as we drive around we hadn't been back for a visit since we first arrived and the girls were complaining that they were the only ones at school who hadn't been up to the top! We set out in bright sunshine, but as we drove towards the city a thick fog descended and this is all that we could see by the time we arrived! Unperturbed we waited in line with all the many other tourists who had also not been put off by the brouillard.

Despite knowing just how far the fog had descended, for some reason, I still decided to pay extra for us to go all the way up to the third floor. We ascended into a cloud, the view was non-existent and the effect of being so high up but not being able to see into the distance was vertigo inducing. We made a quick descent via the stairs to the first floor to find the real reason we had braved the Eiffel Tower on such a dreary day - the ice rink.

There is a tiny ice rink right there on the first floor with, I'm sure, magical views if you choose the right day! Your ticket into the tower grants you free access to the ice rink but you earn your time on the ice with the wait in line. Just as we joined the back of the long, slow moving queue we saw the lights on the tower sparkle (a magical event that happens for five minutes every hour on the hour when it's dark). We saw the lights sparkle from the inside twice more before the girls finally got on the ice. It felt a little less magical after waiting for two hours in the cold, but once we've decided to do something, we do it!!

The Tower sparkling - not quite so magical from the inside!

There was at least hot chocolate and vin chaud on sale to keep us warm.

Poor fourth child.

Zamboni? Quoi?

Once they did finally get on the ice, the big girls loved it. Plenty of others had given up the wait so it wasn't crowded and they got to have their annual Christmas ice skate. Not the finest skating conditions, but worth it to say you have skated on the Eiffel Tower!

The ice rink is open until January 31st so you still have time to experience it for yourself if you happen to be passing!