America's gift to France
Written: Mar 15 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Historical Site. Great Views. Park setting.
Cons: Long waits to get up. Can not walk up the entire structure.
The Bottom Line: This is a must see site for visitors to France from the USA!
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| dbhoutx's Full Review: Eiffel Tower |
The Eiffel Tower in Paris is one of the neat sites to visit while there. This historic landmark stands high in a city full of flavor.
My Trip
Recently, I went to Paris to see the sights and meet up with my wife who was traveling on business. She arrived from Istanbul about the same time I arrived from Houston. Since I went for only a weekend, I did not reset my body clock and enjoyed Paris on Houston time. For me that helped ward off the jet lag so many travelers suffer.
One of the sights we looked forward to visiting while in Paris was, of course, the Eiffel Tower. In order to get from our hotel to the other areas of town, including the Eiffel Tower we took a tour of the city on an open-air bus, which was not too expensive. Among the numerous hop-on hop-off stops is the Eiffel Tower. The stop is across the street from one of the four legs. As you exit the bus and look up, you get an instant image of the big beautiful gift from America.
It was almost 16 years ago that I was last at that spot. At that time I traveled into town via Hovercraft and train from Dover, England with my Grandfather. It sure seemed different this time. Of course, it was in part due to the damage from the wind storm that occurred two weeks before our visit there. The trees were all destroyed around the tower. They look like perfectly shaped twigs now since they have been cut back to stimulate growth.
The park is very barren now and looked nothing like I remember it from the Summer I visited so long ago. This trip was different in that I had my wife with me and before I was there with my Grandfather. However, the park is a great place to take some food and a bottle of French wine to enjoy while looking at the beautiful sites as well as watch the other tourists. It sure seems like a great tourist magnet. That also means you have to deal with panhandlers and solicitors. Also, watch out for the gypsies who will try to rob you of your purse or wallet.
As we walked across the street to take a closer look, the tower loomed over all around. The lines were long with people who wanted to go up for a look. Given we were there in very early January and the temperature was not much above freezing, we decided not to spend a long time waiting in line. Also, the price to ride the elevator up was a bit much. Since my wife was pregnant, we did not even go up to level one as that would have been a bit much for her. The steps open to the public will only get you up to level one.
Closing Thoughts
The Eiffel Tower is a must see for anyone on their first trip to Paris. It has the historical significance of being a gift from the USA much as the Statue of Liberty is a gift from France. When you venture up in the tower, you can see great distances. This allows for some great photography, when the weather is good. That was not the case during our most recent visit. We had overcast bad weather.
The Eiffel Tower is home to a couple of gift shops and a small café if you happen to get hungry. They serve up great coffee according to my wife who really likes the stuff. The other folks we saw there, tourists that is, all seemed friendly despite the cold miserable weather. We waited for the next bus to continue our city tour after 15 minutes walking around the tower park area.
When I get back to Paris, perhaps this year, I hope we will get up for some nice pictures from up on top of the tower. Of course it will help if the weather cooperates. One neat memory from the last visit was seeing the tower lit up for the Y2K celebration which had taken place a week before.
Make sure to visit the tower when you are in Paris.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
dbhoutx
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: David
Location: Houston, Texas
Reviews written: 324
Trusted by: 223 members
About Me:
David loves outdoor activities, travel, breeding Registered Texas Longhorns.
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