I Fell For The Eiffel Tower

I know, I know. A title can’t get any cornier than this one.

Everyone has an ultimate dream destination. Mine is Europe. Where in Europe? The iconic Eiffel Tower.

From the movie G.I. Joe

I walked from Arc de Triomphe going to the Eiffel Tower. I still had a couple of hours of daylight left. My plan was to enjoy the view at the top at night. 

 "Paris. Somebody pinch me."

Almost there.

This is the first time I am seeing the tower in full view. I had to stop in my tracks and take a picture. Inhale. Exhale. I slap myself to check that I am awake.

The weather may be gloomy and cold, but I was bouncing with excitement and joy inside.

I knew, I read, I researched that it is a really really good idea to purchase the tickets online. But it completely slipped my mind. So I had to fall in line for an hour. It was terribly cold at that time and my wool leggings was not doing its supposed to be job to keep me warm. But of course, for the love of the Eiffel Tower, I had to endure the cold... and some rain.

Tickets from the ground to the second floor costs €8,20. Tickets all the way to the top costs €13,40. By the time I got to the ticket counter, I felt that I wouldn’t last that long because I was already shivering. I bought a ticket going to the second floor instead. Like all the other museums I’ve been too, the line to buy tickets is a different story from the line going inside. It took me another hour to entrance door. Only to realize that... my ticket was missing.

Major UH OH. I was already done with all the baggage inspection but I had nothing to present when I was asked for a ticket. 

"Wait, my ticket is missing. I think I dropped it outside”. I was making hand signals that I’d like to go outside to check. I was let out and I walked back out in the cold to find my ticket. People noticed that I was looking for something.

“Are you looking for a ticket, the guards have it” a stranger said. The guard said that somebody gave him my lost ticket. They figured it was me. Whew! I thought I was going to buy a ticket again. I met the mother and daughter who found my ticket. Angels. The daughter was going to study art in Paris for the next three months. How cool is that!

The elevator took another 30 minutes. “Be careful of pickpockets”, the guards warned. I guess even pickpockets pay the entrance fee. It was a long wait, but it was just a short ride to the second floor.

Just before sundown.

It was freezing but I got to control my chattering teeth. After all, I was IN THE EIFFEL TOWER.

I had no plans of climbing the top. But, oh but, how could I resist? I just resisted the cold. Also, a roommate in Florence told me she wasn’t able to reach the top of the Eiffel Tower because it was closed. They close it sometimes because of bad weather. So.... I had to find a way how to get to the top, since I only paid for a ticket up to the 2^nd floor.

A guard pointed me to vending machines for the ticket to go to the top. The additional ticket just cost me €5,20 (the difference of the full price of €13,40 and €8,20 I initially paid). I had to queue for an additional 30 minutes. By that time, I was shivering in cold, and I felt the early pangs of hunger.

But everything faded when I reached the top. The cold and windy weather, the fatigue, the hunger, the long wait were forgotten when Paris presented me this majestic view.

The City of Lights indeed

There was a glass pane area where you can view the tower. It was warm there. 

There's my country!

But the glass pane shielded the real beauty of the view from the top. I mustered all the warmth that I had and stepped out into the open. A blast of cold air hit me. I had to a endure a Mount Pulag-like temperature to explore the top of the tower.

It exceeded my expectations.

That light comes from the peak of the Eiffel Tower

I was doing self-portrait shots when a guy took pity on me. He volunteered to take a couple of shots for me. Hoorah to the kindness of strangers.

The purple camera case makes it to the top of the Eiffel Tower

After more than an hour of viewing, I gave in to my hunger and went down. Warning: the line to the elevator going down takes another 30 minutes. 

The tower is magnificent at night. How can you not fall in love with this:

A golden experience.

I haven’t had enough of the Eiffel Tower. The next night, I met up again with a friend I met in a Palaui trip. He took superb pictures of the tower and ... photos of me, of course. Naka-quota sa choices for a profile pic. I'll let the pictures do the talking. Those with no watermarks are not from my camera.

I was also more prepared for the cold weather this time. Double layer of wool stockings.

The purple camera case with the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower has this "lights show" that goes on every hour. It lights up like it has Christmas lights for a few minutes. I didn't notice that the night before when I was in it. It was a surreal experience.

Twinkle twinkle Eiffel Tower

We went to Trocadero for a nice full view of the tower. I took a picture using every setting of my camera.Just like the city, the Eiffel Tower had no bad angle.

Sparkling from Trocadero:

It was drizzling a bit. People had their umbrellas.

In black and white drama

The umbrella I bought that day was a nice accessory.

I had fun posing.

Love this shot

And this is why Paris is my favorite city.

Dreams do come true.

Some tips:

• Buy your ticket online. It will save you an hour or two.
• Even if you have the ticket, there is a line in entering the tower and in taking the elevator. Prepare to wait. Prepare for the heat or cold.
• If you will climb the tower at night during autumn, be prepared. Wear layered clothes for warmth. 
• Spare no space in your camera. Just click away.
• Know the settings of your camera. It can be quite tricky how to take pictures at night and capture all the light.