Taking the stairs on the Effiel Tower by Mudfish
As most travelers do, I went to the Effiel Tower with friends. Being young and impatient, we decided to skip the long lift line, and opt for the stairs up the tower. But once you reach the 2nd story, you have to purchase an additional ticket to get to the top via the lift. By chance, on the day we visited, the ticket counter on the second story was out of service. So after a scuffle with the french workers, we were escorted down, and never made it to the top. So skip the stairs. Take the lift, even though i know this is a no brainer to most.My favorite memory of Paris is from a small cafe that me and a friends stumbled upon around lunch time. An old couple worked behind the counter and served us simple food and drinks. Speaking no french, I pulled out an English/French dictionary to try and thank the old couple to spoke almost no english. It took us nearly 30 mins, but the four of us (two americans and the two french), we both learned a little of the others language. Mostly, we all just laughed. Such a simple moment I will never forget.
