You really can't go to Paris and not see the Eiffel Tower. I've been there on several visits before, but there is something unique about going with someone who is seeing it for the first time.
We walked a long way to get there (about 8,000 steps according to someone's fit bit). The cool thing about walking there is that you get to see glimpses of it along the way, and then it disappears before it is suddenly looming large above you. The scale of it requires getting up close to really appreciate it, particularly if you think of the technology of the time period. As Butterfly Girl observed, the interlocking triangles make the structure strong, because triangles are the strongest shape. It's hard to believe when you stand by it that some thought it was ugly when it was first built.
When we arrived, the long lines were at first discouraging. But upon careful observation, we discovered that if you wanted (or were willing to) walk up, the line was quite short. Surprising?! We planned on walking anyways, so yeah for us. The 37 flights didn't seem too bad, and all of us made it no problem. The view of Sacre Coeur was of particular interest to everyone as it is one of our favorite places in Paris. Just being up on the structure was super fun, and better than the Empire State building and the Rockefeller Center, agreed everyone. There is a different perspective on a city when you are up high that can't be matched in other ways. We walked down, also fun, and headed to the Arc de Triomphe, which was extra cool since we had seen it from the top of the Eiffel Tower.
If you go: go early. The lines for all the areas were pretty long as we were leaving. The website is confusing. It's hard to tell that you can walk up and then buy tickets on the 2er stage to get all the way to the top, but you can. It is 37 flights, so come prepared.
By DocRunning
.jpg)
