On top of old Arcy

There are 284 steps to get to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Or about 30 steps if you take the elevator.

We decided to man up and take the stairs. We're Andersons.

We meaning I, and I chose this option because by the time I figured out what the people were saying to me in French, we were already up 20 steps with people behind us.

The spiral staircase shown in the first picture is the blurry version that I thought looked kind of cool and artistic. The lighting isn't great in there.

Once you get up those steps, you are in the middle of the top of the arc. It's nothing special. There are some info type movies and a large tv screen showing what the people below you would look like if you could look through the stone.

Then you go up about 15 more steps and you're near the top, but not quite there. They have to fit a gift shop in there somewhere, and this is the place.

15 more steps or so and you're on the balcony. I expected something more breathtaking or amazing, but it's just ok. It seems to me to be about the same height as the cathedral we visited.

We got some pictures of us with the eiffel tower in the background. The people were nice enough in helping us, but were just bad photographers.

Oh ya! And I ran into a new type of scam today!

As a Christian, I need to work on loving my neighbor, meaning I need to try to put their best interest first and treat them as God would. I do my best.

In this case, my best means I didn't deck the guy for bothering me while I'm with my kid. I'm sure Christ could do better than that, but I'm working my way up to that level.

I was looking at the menu of a cafe on the way back, and some little dude bent over in front of the stroller and placed a ring on the ground, a gold one. I didn't see him place it. But I deduced it later.

When he saw me looking, he picked up the ring and walked over and said, is this your ring? I said, nope. He said, ok. thanks, and walked away oddly pleased.

Then he came back and showed me some symbol inside the ring, is this gold do you think, he says.

Sure, could be, I say. He says, ok, thanks! with a big grin he says, where are you from anyway? I say America, and you? Yugoslavia, he says, well, enjoy your stay! He walks off.

And comes back.

I become wary.

You go ahead and take it, he says, it's good luck. No thanks, I say, he says go ahead, it's good luck, go ahead. I take it, he walks away, I put it down.

He comes back.

Now I realize it's a scam. Took me long enough. Maybe you give me some change for it? For bus money, since I helped you out you know?

No, thanks though. C'mon man, give me some change, I helped you out, just some change.

Nope, have a good day.

Then I head into McDonalds (I thought it was, turns out it's called Quick and it's the same exact thing except different names. I smell a lawsuit.)

Get some chicken finger things for Ben and sit down to try to enjoy some free wifi.

Some dude walks up and says, do you speak English? I look at him, see the card approaching my face and answer, no, lo siento, hablo espanol (No, sorry, I speak spanish). He says, ah, ok, and walks away.

One for two I guess.