Monday, April 25, 2011

Tour Eiffel

In the summer of 2009, Chris Woodall and I headed to Europe to spend some time in Paris and in Berlin. You can read more about those travels here.

Of course, one of big tourist-y things we just had to do was do the Eiffel Tower.
The elevators don't take you all the way to the top. I'm glad. They were awfully cramped and I suspect the amount of passengers on board regularly exceeds the recommended weight limit.
We got plenty of pictures of Paris from the top but my favorite pictures are of the tower from the ground below.
The Eiffel Tower is named for its designer, Gustave Eiffel.
Original hydraulic pump for the lifts -
During our trip, Chris and I perfected the art of arriving at the larger attractions just before sunset so that we could get day shots, sunset shots, and night shots. We are so awesome!
The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair.
The entire structure weighs approximately 10,000 tonnes.
About 50 - 60 tonnes of paint are applied to the tower every year to protect it from rust.
The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world.
Millennium Lights - Something tourists just seem to pee their pants about.
The Millennium Lights were installed for the Millennium Celebration on New Year's Eve in 1999. They were such a hit that they became a nightly event. They flash for ten minutes every hour.

Views of France from the tip top to be posted in the future...

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