Our morning began at Marché des Enfants Rouges, Paris’s oldest covered market, founded back in 1615. Its name comes from a nearby orphanage where children once wore red uniforms—hence les enfants rouges. Tucked just off Rue de Bretagne, the entrance is easy to miss, but step through the gate and you’re suddenly in a bustling maze of food stalls, produce stands, and kitchens serving dishes from every corner of the globe.
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| Marché des Enfants Rouges |
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| Marché des Enfants Rouges |
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| Jewish quarter |
We didn’t sample the market fare this time, having already indulged in breakfast and coffee at a Vietnamese flower shop café—a quirky little find that served excellent cake alongside blooms.
From there, we wandered through the neighborhood’s boutique shops. Paris excels at small, independent stores; chain retailers are rare here, and it’s a reminder that Australians could learn a thing or two about preserving character in shopping streets.
After lunch, we boarded a Batobus boat bound for the Eiffel Tower.
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| Seine River |
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| Near the river |
An enjoyable and relaxing ride. A quick pizza and some shopping later, we joined our guided tour. Dining near the tower comes with a warning: two cappuccinos set us back €15, and the pizza was €23. Converted, that’s nearly $30 AUD for coffee—almost Monaco prices!
We joked that after paying Paris prices we no longer had kidneys and only part of our livers left. The Aussie dollar doesn’t help either—sitting at around 56 Euro cents to one of ours. Some might say, “Suck it up, you’re travelling overseas,” but the exchange rate has bigger implications. Australia imports most of its manufactured goods, so a weak dollar doesn’t exactly work in our favour as consumers. The real winners are the primary industries exporting abroad, while the rest of us feel the pinch every time we order a coffee or purchase something made from overseas. Hmmm, perhaps finding an economical balance to benefit more Aussies? (And I know it’s not as simple as that when comes macro economics, and it would be nice to ignore such economic triggers such as interest rate differentials, commodity export prices, China’s economic slowdown, global trade tensions with tariffs, domestic housing & credit stress etc, etc…., (Bugger still remember 1st year economics.)
Our guide, a Ukrainian woman who had relocated to Paris during the invasion of her country, shared fascinating insights into the tower’s history and mechanics. Security was tight, with two checks before reaching the lift. Adventurous visitors can climb the stairs, but we opted for the elevator to the second floor, then continued 200 meters higher to the summit. In total the tower is about 300 metres high, not bad for 1889 temporary building for the world expo.
The views were breathtaking—Paris stretched endlessly below, with nothing taller to obstruct the panorama. We toasted the moment with champagne (€24 per glass, a splurge for the memory rather than the taste). As night fell, we were lucky enough to witness the Eiffel Tower’s light show, sparkling every hour after sundown. Seeing it both from above and later from the ground was unforgettable.
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| Mr Eiffel's apartment at summit |
Dinner was at Le Bourbon, a restaurant directly across from the French National Assembly. The clientele matched the location—polished, political, and Parisian. We took advantage of the prix fixe formule, bringing the bill to €80. We figured it be awhile before we visit Paris, perhaps 2027 😉?
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| Le Bourbon |
Our walk home led us past festive Christmas markets and the Louvre, before finally hailing a taxi.
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| Near the Loure |
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| Loure |
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| Loure |
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| Loure |
The only tragedy of the night? Needing to pack our bags for tomorrow’s journey home. Of course after packing we enjoyed some cheese and wine French style.
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