Back to Paris

Tomorrow I'll be going to Paris again. I have an appointment on Thursday to have a document notarized at the U.S. Embassy. And I'd like to be able to take advantage of the possibility of going up to the top of the Tour Saint-Jacques to take some pictures while I'm in the city.

The Tour Saint-Jacques with the Pompidou Center in the background

The Tour Saint-Jacques is a Gothic-style bell tower that was constructed in the early 1500s. The church that stood next to it was demolished in 1793, during the French Revolution. The tower remains. It is 52 meters — 170 feet — tall, and it stands in the very center of Paris. For comparison, the towers of the nearby Notre-Dame cathedral are 69 meters tall — 226 feet.

Sixteen stories to climb

Weather in Paris might turn into a problem. It's supposed to start raining Friday morning. With any luck, I'll be able to schedule a tour early in the day and the rain will hold off. The Tour Saint-Jacques is open to the public this summer for the first time in its history, and accompanied tours one hour long are being given only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

There's a weather station at the top of the Tour Saint-Jacques.

Detail shot of the top of the tower taken from the same spot as the one just above

There's a two-hour window of opportunity on Thursday mornings to make a reservation by telephone for one of the weekend tours. I'll be staying with CHM in Paris, so I'll make the call from his place, before I go to the embassy for my afternoon appointment. Wish me luck — with the weather, of course, but also with the 16 flights of steps I'll have to climb.