Photo Diary: The Eiffel Tower

Final destination in Paris was the Eiffel Tower.

Seeing it from a distance, as we walked from a local flea market.

Rows of empty chairs like a post apocalyptic world, when it was just a rainy and bitter cold day in Paris.

And we arrive in front of the field where lovers hold hands and picnic baskets, lay a mat and gaze up at the pinnacle of the city of romance.

 And guess whose name I saw written in Sharpie.

(There was a “Mary &” next to it but I very conveniently left it out for obvious reasons.)

It was such a cold day, the beginning of the chill sweeping across Europe. I slept on the wrong side of the bed and woke up with hair that refused to obey, and a face that sells eye bags. But you are actually looking at my red coat instead of all that. Oh and the tall funny looking structure behind too of course.

 Close up.

 Even closer.

There were hordes and hordes of tourists cluttering the base of the Eiffel tower, some queuing up to take a lift up, some taking stairs and escalators. My brother is a wuss when it comes to heights, and he simply found a nice corner where the wind least reached him. I figured that if the wind and cold was that bad on level ground, it would be ten times worse so many flights up. So I shall leave the sights on top of the Eiffel tower till summer instead!

Oh and we saw a model at an outdoor photoshoot right in front of the tower! She was wearing too little for the weather and in between shots, her assistants would rush forward with a bathrobe… that does not cover whatever she wasn’t covering. Pretty much useless, and despite her lovely gams, I did pity her life for a while.

 I saw a carousel quite a distance away, and insisted on going over. Didn’t get on it because yes, it was too cold and those ponies don’t look comfy. Would love to take one sometime, ignore the staring toddlers and parents, and take a polaroid on it. Just one of those things for pretty photos; carousels just never go wrong.

 You can see the gloomy rainclouds in the background.

Like a boss.

And the final one, of the tower from a distance, across the piazza.

When I went up close to the tower and saw it with my own eyes for the very first time, the feeling and awe was underwhelming. I have heard of how people say that the Eiffel is pretty much a bunch of metal, and that was indeed what was going through my head as I stared up at the structure. But looking at these photos weeks after my trip to Paris, I must say there is just something about the Eiffel Tower, something about it in the setting of Paris, that just creates a fuzzy feeling. A yearning to be held and loved. To share the moments with somebody very very special.

I was glad to return to London, back to the comforts of my own room and language. But after the past few posts about Paris, I am starting to miss it. Miss the food, the air, the incomprehensible but delightful language, and the ambience of it all. Am glad I would be returning two more times, for two different seasons!