La Tour Eiffel
Have you ever noticed that you never visit your own tourist attractions? When I lived in the Seattle Area (21 years, or so, depending on how it is counted), I visited the Space Needle once, because a group of friends decided we had to go. I have since dragged uncounted exchange students there, but I think I have more fun because I am looking for things that I recognize in my original hometown. (Actually, I do enjoy pointing out the giant spiders painted on the roof off to the northwest.) I never go up by myself, however.The first time I visited Paris 5 years ago, I walked underneath the Eiffel Tower and that was OK, because it wasn't my city. I wouldn't recognize any landmarks.
This time, however, my hosts procured tickets with a tour guide. Alex and I played cards all morning (he was such a good host, he let me win!), ate lunch, and set off (to the train, of course) precisely at the carefully calculated time.
And we missed the train.
Which meant we didn't catch the second train, to the stop at the Trocadero, on time.
A phone call from Sebastien: where are you? we are riding the first train. We change trains. Another phone call from Sebastien: where are you? We have just boarded the train to the Trocadero. Little did we know that Sebastien was telling the tour guide that we have just gotten OFF the train at the Trocadero, so that she wouldn't leave without us.
We get off the train (behind the palace in the picture) and see the Tower, and it looks like it is just across the street. That is because it is big. We need to cross the courtyard between the two halves of the palace, walk down the length of the fountain, cross 2 streets and The Seine, and walk up a ramp. I walk as fast as I can, and by some miracle we arrive only 2 minutes late.
The tour was fascinating. I have all sorts of facts. The Eiffel is 324 meters to the top (the Space Needle is only 184 m). There are 1792 steps, if you want to climb them. It was built it 1889 (the year Washington became a state) for the centennial of the French Revolution. (Sebastien asked why there weren't 1789 steps). It was originally supposed to be torn down, but Eiffel said that he hadn't been given the money for it, and it stayed. A radio broadcast tower was added later, which came in handy during The battle of Marne in WW1. Guy de Maupassant protested the tower on artistic grounds, but once it was built he ate in one of the restaurants there every day: it was the only place in Paris where we did not have to look at the tower. Seriously, there is lots more and you just have to get a tour guide.
And I had 2 extra: Alex and Sebastien pointed out all sorts of landmarks. Rather excitedly, I might add.
Here is one: the French Pentagon. Except it isn't in the shape of a Pentagon, they kind of forgot the 5th side. But it is supposed to resemble a stealth bomber.
And here is the Arc de Triomphe. I have never actually been there; 5 years ago there was a riot and the police did not want us to join it. This time it was only a week after the French trashed the Champs Elysees because they had won the world cup.
Remember those 1792 steps? Here is the last 15. I climbed them to the top, and posted it on facebook. And fooled people into thinking I had climbed all 1792. I did consider walking the last 300 steps down, but my knees got out a 2 X 4 and knocked some sense into my head, so I took the elevator down instead.
Later, at a cafe drinking coffee (we did a lot of that, but that is what you are supposed to do in Paris), Sebastien asked if I like the tower. My reply was that, hurrying there, I thought it would be OK to miss going up the tower, because Paris is not my home and I wouldn't know the landmarks. But now that I have been up it, I have decided that missing it would not be OK.
The Iron Lady is going to be a different color starting next year..
posted by Marion @ 10:55 PM
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