Le Tour Eiffel

Today dawned bright and shiny with fluffy white clouds floating in the blue skies above – in other words, a very unusual day in Paris. Couldn’t wait to get out and enjoy the weather but realized that the route to the Eiffel Tower from here could be quite time-consuming. So I was now motivated to figure out how to take the RER – an underground train that shares many metro stations, but a lot quieter, cleaner and faster than the metro. In fact it took me only 4 stops to get to the Eiffel Tower, whereas the metro would have taken at least 16 stops on 3 different metro lines. Sufficient incentive to try it out. The RER also travels above ground outside of Paris to many Paris suburbs and beyond.

Decided to dig around on the internet for some information on the Eiffel Tower before my outing and found some very interesting facts. The Tower bears the name of its very famous creator, French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. We Americans should know the name well since he also created the Statue of Liberty in 1885 – a gift to the American people from the people of France. The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1989 International Exposition (World’s Fair). Eiffel's design was chosen over 700 other proposals; an intrinsic part of that design was that it be easily demolished 20 years after the Exposition. When the 20 years ended, Eiffel convinced the ministry that the monument could be used as a radio tower, and thus saved it from extinction. The tower is repainted on the average of every 7 years. It has been re-painted 18 times since its initial construction -- the 19th painting got underway in March 2009. There is a stict requirement that the paint must be applied manually with brushes in keeping with the original painting of the tower – the use of rollers and paint guns is strictly forbidden even today. It takes months to completely repaint and over sixty tons of paint are required for the full repaint of the tower.

When I arrived at the Eiffel Tower, there were very long lines for the lifts to the first two levels (the 3rd level being closed today), and these lines were moving slower than a slow snail. It being Monday, I had assumed the lines would be shorter, but looks like the tourists have arrived in full force. That along with the usual school groups, tour groups, family groups, church groups and the like, made me think I needed another route of access. I looked around until I found the line for climbing the stairs, saw a line with about 6 people in it, and off I went. Only 4 euros (about half the price for the elevator up), and a lot more to crow about. Turns out there are 337 steps up to the first level of the Tower; per the website, that includes 9 steps up to the ticket booth!

One of the most impressive views from the top is the Champ de Mars. During the 18th century, this land was used as a parade ground for the nearby Ecole Militaire. Now it's one of the largest parks in Paris.

A beautiful view of Hôtel des Invalides, a complex of buildings in the city's 7th arrondissement containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building's original purpose. It's also the burial site for some of France's war heroes, most notably Napoleon Bonaparte.

Back home again on rue Bretagne -- about a block away from my apartment and full of shops, patisseries, art galeries, produce stores and even a small supermarket. The main reason for this picture today, however, was the blue blue sky in the background!

Time for dinner in my tiny pied-à-terre. Salade Niçoise and French bread on the menu tonight.

Bonsoir