After sightseeing all day, we saved what is arguably the most famous landmark of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, for last. The city of Paris covers an area of 4661 square miles and the Eiffel tower, at 984 feet tall is hard to miss! I had seen the tower in the distance from the Louvre and Arch de Triumph, but being that close to the famous structure took my breath away. Before climbing to the top, we decided to have a picnic dinner of French bread, cheese and wine under the tower while taking in the French culture. We were exhausted because we had been walking around the enormous city for hours visiting all the other popular tourist sites. It felt wonderful to finally sit and rest.
It was a beautiful, sunny late afternoon in Paris. As we sat on a blanket enjoying our picnic, I felt as though I was the luckiest person in the world! I tried to take in as much of the experience as possible. The sunny skies, the beautiful green parks, the aroma of French food in the air, and the romantic sound of French conversation almost seemed surreal! I truly was experiencing French culture at its best.
While in Paris, besides experiencing the culture, I also learned some history. The Eiffel tower was designed and built by Gustave Alexandre Eiffel, a French civil engineer, for the 1889 Paris World Fair. The tower was constructed from 7000 tons of iron. At that time, it was the tallest structure in the world. The lower section has four gigantic legs which arch inward. There are observation decks on three levels. The first level observation deck is also a restaurant. There are stairs and an elevator to reach the different levels. I was amazed to learn that there are a meteorologist station and a radio station at the top of the tower. For those in good physical condition, you can climb the stairs to the top observation level in about 45 minutes!
After we finished our picnic my friends and I had a sudden burst of energy. We decided that we did not want to wait in the long line for an elevator ride, we would climb the steps and take in the amazing structure one step at a time. I am not going to lie, by the time I reached the second level, my calves were burning and all of my energy had disappeared. We watched the sun set and decided since we were already 2/3 of the way to the top, we would wait an hour for the elevator to the top. The second to the third level is only accessible by an elevator. After a long wait we finally arrived at the top. From the top observation deck there was a breathtaking view of the entire city of Paris. At night, when the city is glowing from the lights, it seems even more magical!
While the Eiffel tower is a world landmark today, when it was built, it was not popular. Parisians thought it was too modern for Paris. As a matter of fact, the most famous artists of Paris started a petition to have the “monstrosity” torn down. Eventually, with world fame, the people of Paris grew fond of their Eiffel Tower which was the foundation in creating the modern skyscraper. Today the people in France consider the Eiffel Tower a national symbol of strength and simple beauty.
Tip: The tower erupts into a shower of twinkling light every hour each evening. I highly recommend you seeing it! If you want more information on the Eiffel Tower, or plan on visiting the famous structure and want to buy you ticket to the top early the following website is helpful! http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/
I really enjoyed reading your blog. The narrative aspect of the blog was interesting and fun to read. I also think you you incorporaed geography well with the history of the Eiffle Tower.
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