Wednesday and that tall steel thing

Wednesday PM we arrived back in Paris by 14:00 and began to look for a bank to exchange some $$ for Euros. Walked into one place and after standing in line realized it was unlikely a place to exchange money. Some girl was at the reception desk wailing about a credit card bill. We began the process of trying to find the connecting buses that would take us to the Eiffel Tower. Asked our faithful #24 bus driver for suggestions and he pointed up another street. Walked over and ran to all the bus stops to figure out what bus would take us where. Found the #80 came close to the Eiffel Tower, so we hopped on, when it eventually came along. Took the bus as close to Eiffel as we could and got off and took a taxi the last dozen blocks. Te meter read 4E10, but we had to pay the 5.10E minimum. Walked to the north pylon entrance and got in line @ the 30 minutes out point. Moved quickly, got out tickets to the top 11.5 E ea. Funicular up to the first level and a quick change over to an elevator to the second level. Spent some time here, looking around, having pizza and sandwich (no free hot water here 2.30 E). Then on to the elevator to the le Summit. Fast ride up the narrow middle of the tower puts you on an enclosed observation deck with a magnificent view of Paris. Sacre Coeur really stood out. The day was very clear and you could see everything.I pointed all the places we had been out to mom and took lots of pictures. I asked mom if she wanted to go out to the open balcony 1 story up but she wanted no part of it. I never knew she had such a fear of heights. I took a quick run up while mom waited. Got down the elevator and mom mentally kissed the ground. While she had a seat I ran around looking for bus and connection opportunities to get us back to the hotel. A little running found a bus that would get us close to a bus that would get us to the bus that goes to our hotel. Collected mom, took her to the bus stop and waited. The #83 got us past Invalides, the Luxembourg jardins and to St Michel. A 1 block walk got us to the #38 which at the second stop (had to stand the whole way) got us within 1 block of the #63 which gets us back to the hotel.