Back in what feel like the dark ages, my wife and I did a trip multiple-stop through Europe, culminating in a week in Paris. It was not an uneventful journey, as we were robbed in Amsterdam of my wife's suitcase, so our plans changed a bit, but not devastatingly so and we had a great week.
Of course, what Paris is most known for and second only to the rudeness of waitstaff in restaurants, is the iconic Eiffel Tower, which was built over a two year period between 1887 and 1889. It was meant to symbolize the art of the modern engineer and the century of industry and science of the time - and as a monument of gratitude to the Revolution, which was 100 years earlier.
When travelling, I am generally not much of a "must see this landmark" kinds of people, which is inline with my unwillingness to plan much ahead and often, tickets are needed. This was the case for the tower too, but we lucked out and happened to time it after the lunch crowds and before the sunset crowds began to arrive, so it only took about 20 minutes of lining to get tickets and start our ascent. Have I mentioned that I don't like heights?
But, I braved the very safe stairs, even though I felt a little woozy whenever I looked through the many gaps to my impending death, splattered between the now large lines of people hoping to get to the top before the sun fell below the horizon. And I am glad I did, as I really, really enjoyed the experience and the view from both the lower deck and the upper deck.
For a building that was criticized for how ugly it was due to its harshness and coldness, I find the spiderweb of steel punctuated with bolts, beautiful. There is a hardness for sure, but there is a sweeping grace and poise it holds in a way that it is regal in engineered nature. La dame de fer - The Iron Lady.
The views of course are spectacular over the city of Paris, which is old and low and when compared with the structure of the tower itself, it is like the convoluted streets of the city below were extruded and pulled together to make the tower itself. At least from the untrained eye of a foreigner, It feels that the tower spills into the city, the streets below the roots that feed it.
Of course, there was the constant reminders over the PA to be on the lookout for pickpockets and with the crowds shoulder to shoulder at the top, this was no easy task. With the robbery of the last week fresh in our minds, we were extra cautious and luckily so, as my wife fended off a hand reaching for her handbag buckle, but even then there were so many people she couldn't know who it was who had made the attempt. Be vigilant everywhere, extra vigilant at tourist attractions.
The Eiffel tower was definitely a highlight of Paris for my wife and I and we spent as much time as we could wandering around, me taking photos, her looking out wishing that once upon a time, she had dared to travel and live in the city of love. Instead, she had to settle for the love of an exotic Australian husband instead.
This last shot is one of my favorites I have taken, as there is an "iconic" nature to it as well as a story that can be interpreted in many ways by the viewer. It is the kind of image I am always on the lookout for, but isn't easy to capture on the fly. This was taken from Montmartre, which is the hill that overlooks Paris, known for its artists, street performers and as we discovered, the rudeness of the waitstaff.
I count myself lucky to have travelled as much as I have, but my thirst for seeing more of the beauty in this world is likely unquenchable. While I love nature, I also love the engineered environments of humans that not only demonstrate our ingenuity, but our own quest for beauty and perfection through our imagination turned into reality.
This is just a slice of our trip to Paris however and perhaps at some point in the future I will add more from the journey, as well as some of the stories we collected along the way.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
