The Eiffel Tower is France's iconic symbol throughout the world. It was designed by Gustav Eiffel and built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair.
It was such a very cold day and the lines were very long to get tickets to the top, but we remained strong (though frozen) and finally were able to experience the Eiffel Tower from the inside.
Don't panic - he isn't real. But I imagine there are real workers who do just that to keep the elevators running.
The ride to the top is in two segments. In the first part you enter a very large closed in elevator which goes to the first and second viewing platforms. If you remember, Ken was anxious to do the bridge walk across the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Well, inside this very protected elevator, before even reaching the first platform, Ken turns to me and says, "You may have been right about the bridge walk."
Despite his qualms, we made the transfer to the second car and on up to the top. It was well worth the effort. Again the haze made photography a challenge, but the views were quite amazing.
A fact I was unaware of was that Gustav Eiffel built a small apartment at the top of the tower where he hosted prestigious guests. On 10 September 1889, Thomas Edison made a visit to this apartment.
After our descent, we took a short walk through the gardens to get an even better view.
Following our walk we made our way to a warm and cosy restaurant where we had tea and then our dinner while we waited for the sun to set.
Our young friends Evan and Janel, who live in Paris, are there while Janel is assigned to the US delegation to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization or UNESCO. This organization was founded in 1945 following two world wars as a way to build a lasting peace based on humanity's moral and intellectual solidarity. If you are very lucky you may have visited some of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites created to preserve history and culture throughout the world. That is just one of many projects and areas of emphasis supported by UNESCO.
The headquarters is located in Paris and it was here that we were having our lunch.
The food was wonderful. The chance to catch up with old friends and learn more about this great organization was even better. And I have to say that UNESCO has one of the best lunchroom views in the world.
Our next day in Paris dawned with gray skies and cold weather. This would not be a deterrent for our planned adventures. First on the schedule was a visit to the Arc de Triomphe. It is one of the most famous monuments in all of Paris and has a long history that is quite fascinating including parades, funerals and even a plane flying through the Arc. It was built to honor those who fought and died in the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars.
The massive size of the Arc was a surprise to me. Being used to seeing the much smaller version in Washington Square Park in New York City (the site of Shayne's graduation from NYU), I was not expecting the immense size of the original. I also did not expect to be able to climb up a leg to see the view from the top.
Before going to the roof level there is a small museum/display of some of the history surrounding the Arc. (There is also one of the best gift/souvenir shops we found while in Paris.)
The Arc de Triomphe lies at western end of the Champs-Elysees and the intersection of twelve large avenues. Once on the rooftop this pattern is laid out before you. With the heavy haze that morning the photos were not the greatest - but the views definitely were.
Beneath the Arc's vault lies the tomb of the unknown soldier from World War I. It is a simple yet very moving monument honoring all those who fought for their country.
The grand scale of this monument still amazes me when I look at the photos.
We had a very inspiring morning with more to follow.
We were nearing the end of a very long day when we arrived at the Louvre. But how could anyone pass up the opportunity to see even a fraction of this incredible museum.
The Louvre Palace was originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century. After Louis XIV chose the Palace of Versailles as his residence, the Louvre was used mainly to house and display the royal art collections. It remained this way for 100 years. During the French Revolution the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should become a museum to display the nation's masterpieces. On 10 August 1793 the museum opened and today is the worlds largest and most visited museum.
Approaching the Louvre is most impressive. The exterior is as much a part of the experience as the paintings and sculptures inside.
Once inside the Louvre it becomes decision time. There are so many collections and the area is so vast that you just have to pick a place to start and see what you see. We started in one of the sculpture areas and moved into some of the painting collections. What we saw was a minuscule number of the treasures that are housed in this magnificent museum. Once again it was like living inside my art history book. Enjoy!
