Paris and the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is probably one of the best known landmarks in the world. Built in 1889 as the entrance to the world's fair, this structure is named for Gustav Eiffel, an engineer, whose company designed and built this tower. I really didn't understand the size of this massive structure, but I began to get an idea about it when I spotted it through the plane window as we were coming in to land at Charles DeGaul airport. It does, literally, "tower" over the city! It is 324 metres (1064 feet) tall. I had no idea!

At night the tower is lit up with more than 20,000 light bulbs which, on the hour,
are set off in a twinkling pattern. Just beautiful!

In addition to three viewing platforms there are also a couple of
restaurants in the tower.

When it was originally built, Eiffel had his own apartment at the top! Per the original agreement, Eiffel's tower was only intended to stand for 20 years, then it was to be dismantled and the land reverted back to the city of Paris. Instead, the Eiffel Tower was repurposed into a radio tower, which saved it from destruction!

During the German occupation of WWII the French cut the cables to the lifts. The Germans demanded they be repaired but, somehow, the French were never able to find the right parts. Later, when Hitler realized that Paris was going to be liberated he ordered the tower, as well as the rest of Paris, to be destroyed. Thank goodness THAT order was ignored! Amazingly, within a few hours of liberation, the lifts were "miraculously" repaired and the French flag hung from the tower. 

The Parc du Champs de Mars is a wonderful place to spend some time. There are some beautiful gardens and fountains, tree lined sidewalks with benches, and a large open green space. Each evening there were loads of people gathered here, most with "picnics" and blankets. "Kids" of all ages played games, amateur musicians shared their music, and others just enjoyed relaxing with a nice bottle of wine. It was really a great place to watch the twinkling lights on the Eiffel Tower and soak in some Parisian culture.

At the end of the Champs de Mars is The Wall for Peace. Erected in 2000, this monument has messages of peace written in 49 different languages on it's walls. There are also chinks in the walls for visitors to add their own messages for peace. It sits at the opposite end of the Champs de Mars from the Eiffel Tower, but is equally beautiful. Many evenings we saw visitors here chanting, praying, meditating, or just enjoying the evening and the views over the Champs de Mars.

Over a decade ago the tower received it's 200,000,000 visitor and continues to receive about 7 million visitors each year, most of whom are foreign. We didn't get into the very long queue for the elevators to go to the top, but I have read that once up there you can purchase a glass of champagne and enjoy the views. Something to do on another trip I think!