Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower – Who can have a visit to Paris on their agenda and not think of visiting the Eiffel! I remember the first time I saw the Eiffel looming on the horizon and the thrill I felt as I walked under this incredible landmark which was built for the 1889 Universal Exhibition, marking the centenary of the French Revolution. Gustave Eiffel, who engineered the internal construction of the Statue of Liberty, was the constructor and engineer.
Architectural Details of the Eiffel Tower
I love the beauty of the architectural engineering which makes the little details like the 2,500,000 rivets that hold together the 10,100 ton structure together all the more intriguing. The Eiffel is 312 meters (about 1024 feet) high to the top of the flagpole and the foundations lie 15 meters (about 49 feet) underground.
The seemingly immovable solidity of the Eiffel Tower can move! It sways slightly in the wind (don’t worry — you don’t feel this!) and actually moved 13 centimeters (about 5 inches) in the storm of 1999.
Heat also affects the Tower – portions exposed to the sun expand more than those parts in the shade and as a result it can lean as much as 18 centimeters (about 7 inches). Now when I look back at this July view, I wonder just how many inches the Tower leaned when we were on the top that day!
At dusk the Tower lights up with the lights flickering the first 5 minutes of each hour from dusk until about 1a.m. It is a wonderful site to view from one of the river boats and when you add the fireworks on Bastille Day you have an amazing scene! (Photo courtesy of Sushidamour)
Eiffel Tower Ticket
Did you know that you can buy your tickets online before you leave home? However, I would still arrive early in the morning to avoid long entrance lines. You have the choice of climbing the stairs to the fist 2 levels or taking the elevator. However, to go all the way to the top, you will have to take the elevator from the second level. I have done this several times and each time the views from the top seem to get more spectacular.
If your Paris visit bring you face to face with long lines, don’t stress— enjoy the time to take in your surroundings and catch all the little details you would miss if you were rushing from one site to the next.
Suggestions
Be sure to have your postcards ready to mail from the first level so that you can get the Tower postmark! Send one to yourself so you have a souvenir awaiting when you arrive home.
Visit one of the bakeries (boulangerie in French) found in the nearby neighborhood where you will find ingredients for an impromptu sunset picnic beneath the Eiffel Tower.
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