Monday, July 21, 2008

Eiffel Tower

What can I say about this 324 m (1070 ft) high structure that hasn't been said before? Not much I guess, as everyone knows the Eiffel Tower. This world famous landmark was built in 1889 and was named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel. It is now one of the worlds biggest tourist traps, but it still keeps in drawing the crowds, around 6,5 million people yearly. An amazing number;, which makes it all more the logical that the queues to go up the tower are so very long. And yes, I've been one of those people as well! On my first visit to Paris I just HAD to go up the tower. And I really enjoyed it! But that was probably mostly due to the fact of the idea it was the "Eiffel Tower" I went up, not especially because of the views from here. This second time I gladly skipped the long wait in line, and pleased myself by just looking at it from the front, the side and below. The structure still amazes me, so it was fun to be here a second time around. But I don't think I will ever go up there again. The queue on this bright sunny day was endless, 45 minutes a sign above the cash register said. I guess visiting Paris and especially the Eiffel Tower requires a bit of patience! ;-) While you stand and wait here in line, or just stare up at this enormous structure, do watch out of pickpocketers and scammers. An area like this, filled with tourists, is a gold-mine and dream come true for those who want to earn a buck or two from tourists. The police do seem to keep control over the area, as they were chasing a couple of scammers on bicycle when we were there.




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