The Richardsons Take Europe: The Eiffel Tower!

When I was a little girl, I read....a lot. By day, by evening, by moonlight when it was bedtime (hence the glasses), and practically anywhere I could get my hands on books. One day in elementary school, I read about the commencement of construction of the Eiffel Tower in 1887 by Gustave Eiffel and Stephen Sauvestre. So intricately designed, it took two whole years to complete the majestic iron lattice structure for the World Fair of 1889. From an early age I was fascinated by the fact that a structure large enough to span several blocks existed, so far away from the world I knew. I promised myself that "when I got big enough and grown enough to fly," I would go find this place.On Wednesday, October 4th 2017 that childhood dream came true. As my new hubby and I crossed Pont d'léna and the Seine river, I caught my first up-close view of the tower and squealed (much to the dismay of the locals, I'm sure)!It really was something to experience, and there is no feeling quite like fulfilling dreams you only imagined as a child!What makes the Eiffel Tower such an attractive monument is not only it's height, but the fact that it has three levels, spans several blocks, houses a fancy restaurant, and can be seen from Space! Because of this, the lines were LONG. Plan ahead and buy your tickets early to avoid the lines.After making it through security, we stood in line at the base for our tickets. Despite my fear of heights, Dave and I decided we were going to go all the way to the top! For a brief moment the top level was closed, but fortunately opened again while we were in line (ASC Travel Tip: The Eiffel Tower offers real time updates on their website if you're unsure about openings or hours).Per our knowledge from Rick Steves book (which I'll feature in another post), we knew to go straight to the top, and WOW! I think I prayed several prayers on the way up, as we could literally watch the ground floor, buildings, and surrounding persons decrease in size before our eyes! It was such a scary, yet thrilling sight! 😩However, when we finally reached the top, it was all worth it!Here are some of the fantastic views (view from the South)!View from the North...View from the East...our flat was somewhere out there!Lovely sunset view from the West. The trick of it all is to visit the tower right before sunrise, or sunset. Either time makes for some GORGEOUS pictures!Because there's always a place for romance in the City of Love!!Looking out at "everything the light touches.."I look relaxed, but it was FREEZING!Historical timeline of the monument.Depiction of Eiffel, his daughter Claire (not pictured here), and Thomas Edison conversing in the secret apartment of the top floor of the Tower.As the sun began to set, we journeyed back down to the second floor (via the several flights of stairs!! 😳😳) for the views and the light show, which begins most days at 8 PM.Besos, y mas besos!We finally reached the bottom for the light show....and it was nothing less than amazing!As the night came to a close, I remember being so thankful for that day, and the opportunity to experience something so grand that we often only see on tv. I was cold, my feet hurt beyond all reason, and we still had at least a 30 min walk back to the metro, but my heart was full.If life so offers you the chance, travel! Get on a plane, conquer those fears, and fulfill some of your childhood dreams! And take the lift to the top of the Eiffel Tower...SERIOUSLY!Happy Thursday, friends!!-AB