The Eiffel Tower

Sorry for the delay. Part of the reason I waited so long before blogging about Paris, the final part of our trip, was trepidation. I was overwhelmed. There was so much to write about, so many amazing photos to post; I didn't know where to begin. I knew it would have to be multiple posts, and I considered many different ways of breaking it up, until I finally thought of an idea. Over the next week or so, I'll post a series of short blogs, each focusing on one bit of our week in Paris. The Eiffel Tower, the Museums, the Notre Dame, Food, etc. And where else to start but the Eiffel Tower?

(The tower peeks out at you from anywhere, when you least expect it)

Visible from nearly anywhere in the city, the Eiffel Tower is recognized as the landmark of Paris, and perhaps even of France. Looking back on our photos of the trip, it is probably the most photographed subject from our entire trip (with the possible exception of us). It's a beautiful sight to behold, from anywhere in Paris, but the best way to experience it is obviously going to the top.

On our second night in Paris, we did just that. We made the long trip from our Hotel, near the Louvre and Tuileries garden, to the tower on foot- taking in many sights along the way. We stopped to grab a street crepe for dinner, and got to the base of the tower just as evening was beginning to turn to night.

(We finished up our dinner here, in the shadow of the tower)

(The elevators that take you up to the first observation deck)

(There was quite a line, and it wasn't cheap either)

(Milling around on the first observation deck, seemed high enough for some... Until we saw the view from the top)

This turned out to be perfect timing. We got to see the tower in three conditions- daylight, sunset and night. We got to watch the city lights slowly come on, as dusk fell, from one thousand feet up. Later, once we got back to ground level, we got to see the tower at perhaps it's most magical- completely lit up.

(A bathroom, who knew? Not too many can say they've used the restroom 1000 feet above Paris... I can!)

(The sun begins to set)

(Paris is at its most beautiful at night, when all the lights come on)

(A champagne bar a the top of the Eiffel Tower?! Crazy. And it cost 10 Euros for a small glass! Who would buy that? Seriously...)

(Going down? Looking down the shaft as the elevator descends)

Thanks for reading. Check back soon (I mean it this time!) for more short updates and photos about our time in Paris.