Day 3: The Eiffel Tower

This morning my day started relatively early - at 07:30 I was woken up by little Matthias outside in the living room. But as most people know, it is a great talent of mine to ignore all external influences and just keep sleeping. I managed to do this for 1.5 hours, then my back drove me out of bed. With an improvised fascia roll made of two rolled-up blouses, I stretched my thoracic spine, did a few cat-cow poses, and rolled happily on the floor. Eventually, it actually got better, and then my day could really start after a cozy shower. Unfortunately, my slight nausea was latent in the background the whole time, and a bread with a bit of avocado and orange juice was my breakfast at 11:30. After completing two lessons of the OLS language test as planned, I felt like unpacking my flute again and used the solitude of the apartment to play a bit. My back kept getting better, so maybe my body just missed the stretching in my back while playing the flute? Let's see how it is tomorrow. Because I was pretty exhausted again, I lay down until 2 o'clock and then managed to get up and go to Paris. My humble goal today: The Eiffel Tower!

I took the RER E to Haussmann Saint-Lazare and then the bus 92 (which passes by really beautiful places!) for 20 minutes to the 'Tour Eiffel' stop, to get to the landmark of the city. Built in 1889 for the 100th anniversary of the Revolution and the World Expo in Paris, the original plan was to leave the controversial tower standing for only 20 years. Fortunately, they changed their minds. I turned around excitedly to see the tower and had to shield my eyes from the sun because it was so bright. That didn't stop me from looking at the structure made of steel for a few minutes and of course taking one or two photos. From all angles, of course, that's a must! I'm particularly proud that I was only approached by one seller of little miniature Eiffel Tower figures, even though countless men try to sell their wares to tourists. With the sun shining, I found a spot on a lawn overlooking the Eiffel Tower and enjoyed the moment. Stomachache and back pain didn't matter at all anymore. I know, I'm easily impressed, but I can definitely say that the Eiffel Tower really impressed me.

While strolling around on the lawn, I noticed a lady whom I wanted to ask if she could take a photo of me in front of the Eiffel Tower. She gladly did that, and we started talking afterwards. She told me that she can't return to China because of COVID, but her friends are getting married soon and she wants to send them a very special wedding video. Therefore, she is looking for people from different countries who can briefly congratulate the bride and groom in their native language. Of course, I immediately agreed to do that, and now I'm probably in some wedding video for two Chinese people, wishing them all the best in front of the Eiffel Tower! We chatted for a short while, she thanked me, and our paths separated. Afterwards, I regretted not asking her for a coffee because she was really nice and I felt like making contacts in Paris (and she spoke English, which was very pleasant).

After that, I wandered around aimlessly again, but it doesn't matter where I am, if I like a street, I take it and see where I end up. And today I ended up at the Invalides Hotel, which Sun King Louis XIV built for the war-disabled French. I just glanced at it from the outside, watched the hustle and bustle on the forecourt, and then continued on. Hockey was being played on an asphalt surface, football and spikeball on the lawn next to it, and I realized that I was exhausted and had to go home.

At Monoprix, I bought pasta, zwieback, applesauce, and eggs, and at the pharmacy, I got something for my stomachache, then returned to the apartment. Little Matthias greeted me very nicely, but of course Antoine and Maeva too. I ate a mini-portion of pasta with a fried egg and applesauce, which was enough for my stomach. Just for fun, I unpacked my thermometer: 37.6°C. Is that already a fever? Google says that it is an elevated temperature when measured orally. Cool! Now I'm lying in bed, with tea and a hot water bottle, watching some movie, and I'm sure it will be better tomorrow!