Today we met Professor Zinder outside of our hotel, and she led us to the 13 train and taught us how to read the metro map. This helps us better understand which general direction we are traveling and what to look for in case we are heading the wrong way. It is very similar to New York, where you have to look for Brooklyn-bound or Queens-bound trains, or ensure that your train has the correct final stop, so you don’t end up in the wrong location.
We learned how to navigate using the Right and Left Banks relative to the north and south sides of the Seine River, which helps us spot major landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Jardin des Tuileries, and the Louvre. Professor Zinder also shared some incredible history, spanning from the 1789 Revolution and the guillotine monument to the 1900 World’s Fair, which brought us near the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais.
We spent a lot of time learning about the Eiffel Tower, also known as “The Iron Lady,” which was built for the 1889 World’s Fair to celebrate the centennial of the revolution. Interestingly, Gustave Eiffel actually bought the plans for the tower from two of his engineers, and he had to negotiate a 20-year lease with the government to keep it standing because it was so expensive to maintain and he needed to « re-make » his money. He was also very smart and negotiated for more than he needed. Today, the names of notable scientists and engineers are engraved all around the tower, and it even houses the famous Jules Verne restaurant.
On a practical note, for exploring, the surrounding 7th district features high tourist pricing and is the city’s most expensive area. We also picked up some great local tips: the tower lights up every hour on the hour after dark for 5 minutes, Paris celebrates the solstice with the Fête de la Musique, and when it comes to public restrooms and water fountains, you should always walk with your own tissue and small water bottle!
After that we passed by the hotel des invalides, grand Palais, petit palais, where we got to see a short glimpse of the arc de triomphe! We also viewed place de la Concorde and ended with a conversation in Tuileries Garden. After our activities with Professor Zinder we headed to Galeries Lafayette, it was so amazing to view Paris from so high up!