My Walk to the Eiffel Tower

Saturday morning, Paris

My hotel was located on Rue Jacob, which is located a few blocks south of the Seine and a block north of Boulevard Saint-Germain. Saturday was my first official day in Paris and I wanted to visit the Eiffel Tower.

I started my journey by first walking right out of my hotel to the intersection where Rue Jacob meets Rue des Saints-Pères and began walking down Rue de l’Université. There is a restaurant on the corner where I had a delicious cappuccino topped with whipped cream and cinnamon.

I walked along Rue de l’Université until I reached Rue de Solférino where I turned right to walk towards the pedestrian bridge Passerelle Léopold-Sédar Senghor. At the bridge I took a left to walk along the river. I think the river was one of my favorites parts of Paris. I loved that there were stalls full of old books, postcards and magazines set up on the sidewalk. I bought a few postcards. It was also nice to lean against the wall and take in a wide-angle view of the city. From the bridges I would lean against the railing and watch the cruise boats pass by. The weather was partly cloudy and windy and it was perfect.

I kept walking along the river for a few kilometers and then turned left down Boulevard de La Tour-Maubourg. I loved this street because it was lined with trees. It was also mid-morning so the pedestrian traffic was minimal. It was just me and the street.

I walked to a small street called Rue Saint-Dominique and I turned right to walk toward the Tower. There were small shops and restaurants on every corner and I stopped into a bakery to get an apple tart. One thing I like about Paris is how compact everything is. Some of the sidewalks are only wide enough for one person to walk down. I also love the small apartments on the upper floors above the shops. They all have balconies with ornamental railings and almost all of them are adorned with beautiful flowers and plants.

I eventually reached the large intersection where Rue Saint-Dominique meets Avenue de la Bourdonnais from the south, which starts at the Ecole Militaire, and Avenue Rapp from the north, which ends at the Pont de l’Alma, where I would later capture a video of the sun setting over the river with the Eiffel Tower lit up.

I crossed the intersection and entered the Champ de Mars from Avenue Joseph Bouvard. I walked into the grassy area that faced the Tower and I spent an hour reading and drinking coffee. It was the perfect start to a wonderful vacation.