Is the Eiffel tower as fantastic as it is built up in our minds? The family consensus is YES!

Gustave Eiffel, an engineer, contractor and architect, was the most influential person in the building of this monstrosity.  It was built from 1887-1889.  Mr. Eiffel put $18,000,000 of his own money into the project and got it all back in 6 months.  Only one person died in it’s construction.  It is now coated with a dark brown paint.  It is painted every 7 years by 25 men using hand brushes.  It takes them 15 months.  They change the color every time.  The government decided to let the people vote for the next color.  Right now the leader is hot pink.  The government keeps extending the voting period hoping the color will change.

Our intentions were to get to the Eiffel Tower before it opened.  That did not happen.  We got to the tower at 10 am and the line to go to the top snaked around the base several blocks long. What to do, what to do?  Den and I can be a well oiled machine when we try hard enough.  He stayed in line with Raleigh on his shoulders so he could be easily spotted in the crowds. The girls took off for the souvenir shop and I went out as a scout to find how to avoid a multi hour wait.  I spied a line that was 2 minutes long……why?  I searched and searched but everything was French or German in description.  Then I saw pictures of people walking up steps.  That’s it!  The long line is for the lift (big fat elevator) and the short line for steps.  Well that was an easy decision.  We are definitely stair people.  And UP, UP, UP we went! There is a first level to look out from and second level as well.  The best views are from the second level.

In 2011 Dennis was silly enough to tell the girls they could celebrate their 16th birthday on the Eiffel Tower.  I urged him to stop making such big promises, but he insisted.  And here we are 3 years later, only 50 days after their 16th birthday, and Annie just weeks away from turning 13.  Once upon the 2nd level Den disappeared for 15 minutes and we later found out he was trying to find a little birthday cake.  This $4 donut was a delightful imposter.  A promise has been kept.

Raleigh tired from walking.

After I told him I’d get him a little treat.

We stayed on the second level for about an hour while Den stood in line to get tickets to use the lift to the tip top.  Then he and the kids all stood in line for the lift.  I did not go boldly, in fact I didn’t go up at all.  I am not scared of heights but they do make me dizzy. I opted for a bench on the sunny side of the second level and was completely blissed out by watching the people.  There are restaurants and souvenir shops on the second level, so there is a lot of action.  Walking around the outskirts is like walking through different seasons.  The opposite side was super cold and windy.  I was happy to have the time to myself to just think or not think.  I prayed alot and quieted my mind for about 45 minutes.  I appreciated the solitude amongst the masses.  Because I don’t speak the languages that were spoken around me it was easy to blur them out.  Basking in the sun is one of my favorite past times.