22 July Eiffel Tower and TDF Final Stage in Paris

22 July – Paris - A beautiful day, warm and sunny.

Yesterday we went back to Disneyland and Disney Studios and tomorrow we are going to Disneyland for a 3rd day. Yippee! But that will be a separate blog.

Today 22nd July we caught the RER train into Paris and then the metro to the Eiffel Tower. We had been to the 2nd floor of the Tower before but this time we were going to the top of the Tower. We had pre-booked internet tickets so we were able to get past the 3 hour long queues. It took us about ½ an hour to get into the lifts. We caught the lift to the 2^nd floor and then jumped straight on the lift to the top of the Tower. Mum and Erin were a little scared. Dad, Holly and Elodie looked out of the lift as it went to the top. It was incredible. At the top we had fabulous views all over Paris. We took heaps of pics and checked out all the places we had been in Paris from up high. We could see the big crowds on the Champs Eleysees for the TDF. We stayed there at the top of the Tower for about 45 minutes. Then we came down the lifts to the bottom.

We then walked to the Tuileries Gardens to meet our friends Ben and Lavina to watch the final stage of the TDF. It was a long walk along the Seine but it was great because it was a lovely day and lots of people in different country outfits and flags and TDF team outfits.

We had to walk to the Louvre to get into the Tuileries because all the roads were closed around the Gardens except the bridge over where the riders would go under near the Louvre. The Tuileries is in the centre of the final stage race course up and down the Champs Elysees where the riders do 8 laps.

We found Ben and Lavina in a perfect spot up high looking down on the race course opposite La Concordia Square. We had “grandstand seats”. Actually we had to stand but we could see perfectly. We watched the “caravan” go through and then the riders raced through and do their 8 laps. They went very fast. We watched them along the Rue de Rivoli and then around Concordia Square.

We saw all the teams gradually take formation for the final lap and sprint to the finish. We couldn’t see the finish line but we could then see the big screen on Concordia Square. Mark Cavendish won and Aussie Green Edge Matt Goss came 3^rd. We had a great time. We met some New Zealanders who said they were going for the Schlecks (but the Schlecks weren’t racing because Andy was injured and Frank withdrew charged with taking performance enhancing drugs – they couldn’t go for an aussie could they!).

We met some more aussies, some English people and Ben and Lavina’s friends from England. The streets below were full of colour and rows of people 10 deep in some places watching the race. We had a perfect spot in a front row above the race course. The Tuileries was a perfect place to watch from. Not too crowded because most people didn’t know how to get in there.

We said goodbye to Ben and Lavina who are travelling around Europe, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka for 6 months. Then caught the RER back to our Disneyland hotel.

The TDF had been a wonderful experience. We still kept giving the English fans a hard time but Wiggins deserved his win. He really benefitted from a very strong Sky team with Australians Michael Rogers and Richie Porte the main hard workers. Team Sky didn’t spare any funding for their team either – they had a team bus and mechanics bus that expanded sideways to twice its size when it was stopped for race set up. They also had BMWs and Jags as their team and race support cars.

Elodie loved the day so much and she really loved the Eiffel Tower and the TDF!!!!

Holly really loved going up the Eiffel Tower.

Erin enjoyed the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower.
Another great day.

Seeya.

The Creber Girls xxx