here and there: experiencing the extraordinary: My Love Affair with the Eiffel Tower

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

My Love Affair with the Eiffel Tower

So after leaving Germany, I took the night train to Paris, France. Paris is a place I'd always wanted to visit. I thought it would be the perfect place to wrap-up my European adventure. I stayed in a hostel for four nights, then splurged the last night on a fancy, boutique hotel close to the Louvre. I loved Paris. I took approximately a million pictures, so I have to split the blog posts up by sites essentially.

The most iconic site in Paris is obviously the Eiffel Tower. It is the thing that defines the city. You can see it from almost anywhere in the city, shining and sparkling in all it's glory. I've heard people say the Eiffel Tower isn't as cool in real life, I have to disagree. It was amazing, something you see so often in movies, magazines and photos, it becomes almost something we take for granted, something that loses its magic because it gets a lot of airtime. But, in my opinion, it's an experience to stand in front of it, seeing it with your own eyes, taking in its height and majesty. I returned to it almost daily. The most magical time to see it though, is at night. Every hour, on the hour, it lights up and sparkles, filling the sky with beautiful lights. It surreal and so romantic.

Probably my most favorite memory in Paris was when I went to the Eiffel Tower with a girl in my hostel. We bought some crepes and wine, sat across from it, and watched it sparkle for almost three hours. We talked about our travels, about our favorite places in Paris, and enjoyed the Tower's performance three times. I get goosebumps just thinking about that night. The way such a place can connect two travelers who get to sit, appreciate and marvel at something breathtaking.

Here are some of the pictures I took of the Eiffel Tower.

My FIRST glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. I was standing in front of the Louvre, turned around, and there she was.

Walking in the park surrounding the Eiffel Tower.

So I forced myself to go to the top. I didn't want to, and in fact, I walked under it, across the street, and looked back at it, then decided I couldn't come all the way to Paris and not ride to the top, so I marched back, bought my ticket, and got in the elevator before I changed my mind. Although I only stayed for a few minutes (only enough time to snap some pictures, then get the heck down), it was pretty breathtaking, and HIGH. Wow. But what a view.