Dinner and the Boat Ride

And off we went to the first dinner. For me, it was something completely new to sit alone in a restaurant, but it was really great. In the many bistros of Paris, one can wonderfully 'people watch'. I ordered a Raspberry Spritz, which tasted good, although there was quite a bit of syrup in it. 'Sweet drink', Papa would have said. My dinner was not very French, a Poké Bowl. Nevertheless, it was super good. Afterwards, I went for a walk toward the Eiffel Tower (see post 'The Eiffel Tower').

I had already booked a boat tour in advance. The music was without a tour guide and instead featured music. I had downloaded the app for the tour beforehand. Using GPS, the app could determine exactly where we were and provided many details through my headphones.

Here are a few interesting pieces of information:

• Do you see the golden flame on the bank of the Seine? In the 19th century, France gifted the USA the Statue of Liberty as a sign of friendship. To thank them, the Americans gave the French a replica of the flame of the Statue of Liberty, which can now be found in its original size in Paris. Why is it also called Diana's Flame? It is located directly above the tunnel where Lady Di tragically lost her life.
• The Pont Neuf is the oldest bridge in Paris. The 381 masks are all different and were meant to keep evil spirits away. The bridge connects the Parisian 'mainland' with the Ile de la Cité, where the Notre Dame church stands.
• The houses on the 'right' bank of the Seine show the former residence of Marie Curie. By the way, she was not only the first woman to win a Nobel Prize but also one of the few individuals to have received 2 Nobel Prizes in different disciplines (Physics & Chemistry).

After the boat ride, I headed straight to the Esplanade de Trocadero, where one apparently has the best view of 'La Tour Eiffel', as mentioned during the boat tour.