A Tower With A View

When I think of Paris, I immediately think of the Eiffel Tower. It’s a must see to anyone who is going to Paris for the first time. As a group we decided that the best way to conquer the sights of Paris was by getting tickets for the hop on, hop off bus tour. Throughout the day on our way to other destination sites, I caught glimpses of the top of the tower. My first impression was that it wasn’t as tall as I thought it was going to be. However, once face to face with the structure my initial thoughts were revoked. There was no doubt in my mind that I needed to climb to the top (or take the elevator).
The view from the top of the tower is one you have to experience first hand in order to take it all in. I could see the entire city and how it was laid out. What first struck me was that all the buildings were so similar. They were all built with the same style and with lots of evenly spaced windows on each level. Even the colors of the buildings were alike. The layout and design immediately made me think of urbanization and how the buildings reflect how the people adapted to the population increases in Paris throughout the years.
I read that Paris, France today has the largest urban mass in Europe (outside the Russian federation). However, throughout history this wasn’t always the case. In the early 19th century France had one of the largest populations, but after WWI and WWII their population suffered heavily from the losses. Since the late 19th century we have seen France and especially Paris, bounce back and experience a huge explosion in urbanization. A quick overview of France’s demographics and about the people of France can be found at http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/DF_people.shtml.
I think that France, especially Paris was so easily able to experience such an exponential rise in their population is due to the way their city was laid out and how they’re buildings were constructed. They’re housing within the city is built up rather than out. This allows for more people to fit in a certain area of space.
From the top of the Eiffel Tower I was also able to see the geography of the Seine River. This could have also played a huge role in the development of the city. We’ve seen other countries flourish that have been near water because they can greatly support and influence the country’s economy. Trade is easily established near water basins because boats can easily navigate back and forth from country to country and it can also be another means of transportation for anyone trying to get from one place to another. The Seine probably once served as a source of protection for the city and kept invaders from crossing into their land as well. Lastly, the river can also be used as a source of food for the population, especially when other sources of food may be scarce.
Whether it may be the structure and layout of the buildings in the city or the benefits that come from living near a body of water these characteristics of Paris influenced urbanization and the rates of the population throughout history.
While riding up to the top of the tower my intension for going up was because I was there and because it’s what you do when you go see the Eiffel Tower. I never thought that the view would be able to teach me so much about the city.
Lastly a tip for future viewers is to buy tickets online beforehand and save yourself at least 30 minutes of waiting in line. www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk