Discovering Paris: Eiffel Tower
Updated: May 14, 2018
I have been living in Paris for a year and a half but only recently went to the Eiffel Tower. I had been putting it off because I wanted it to be special.
I still remember the first time I saw it, it was my 4th day in Paris it was at night and I saw it in the distance while a friend was driving me around the city showing me the main attractions. If you have ever been in Paris you know that they light up the Eiffel Tower at night, and it is a beautiful sight.
I still get emotional when I see it today, mainly because to me it is a symbol of freedom (please see this post for further explanation: https://www.elizebonheur.com/blog/an-angolan-in-paris ).
The biggest inconvenience when you go there are the endless lines you need to go through. You have a line to clear security (to make sure you are not carrying anything dangerous), a line to pay for the ticket, and a line to get on the elevator in each floor(going up and going down). But the biggest reward is getting to the top, you get the most amazing view of the city.
The Tower has 3 floors, 2 restaurants and a champagne bar (très chic).
I read a bit about the history of the tower, and it's funny that there was a lot of controversy and opposition about building it. I think it's incredible how something that has been so disapproved has become one of the greatest monuments worldwide and the symbol of a country. It makes us think about how much we let ourselves be limited by others and our own beliefs. If Gustave Eiffel had listened to criticism and the discouragement all around him he wouldn't have built the Eiffel Tower. To me the city of Paris is very charming, and being able to see the tower peeking through on the distance greatly adds to it's charm, I simply cannot imagine Paris without it.
What about you have you've ever been to the Eiffel Tower? Did you like it?