Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower skip-the-lines sunset tour, was crowded, interesting and informative, even if the sun didn't cooperate with the promised sunset. One cable car took us halfway up and another elevator straight to the top. The tour itself occured on the first stop. Champagne was served at the top - for a price of course.

Slight Disclaimer - all information here should be treated as suspect. At my age, I am lucky to remember what day it is or what country I am in.

Asha, our tour guide, from Fat Tire (?) a company of displaced energetic, enthusiastic young Americans, regaled us with tales of King Louie 14, 15, 16, pointed out the many historic sights as well as the non-historic Montparnasse, the Monstrosity, a huge black building with a restaurant on floor 56. Totally different from the historic Paris. She promised splendid cityviews and cheap food. At least one of those proved true. And I suppose cheap is relative.

Montparnasse caused as much controversy as the Eiffel Tower did when it was first built in 1889 for the World's Exhibition. Eiffel, who bought the design from engineering students, won the contest for most unique building. It took 2 years 2 months to build. As with most things, money endures. Asha did not know the student's names.

The military school (visible from the tower) was unhappy with the loss of land and requested it be as close to the Seine as possible. At one point they wanted it to straddle the river, but that proved to be an impossible engineering feat. Eiffel bought the design from two students, but it was his money so it is his name. Money talks.

Parisians complained that it would attract metal to it, like a magnet or fall down and destroy the neighboring houses. Although the 'eyesore' was to be a temporary structure for the Exhibition, it is now the most visited monument in the world. It is painted every 7 years by what Asha termed mountain climbers, takes tons of paint, and is amazingly light. If all the metal was flattened it would be a small pile.

The tower was to be built totally French, but they could not find a french company capable of designing an elevator that would work. The american company Otis did and to solve the french problem they became honorary French citizens. Supposedly the cable cars used today are the original (repaired) ones.

Eiffel shrewdly negotiated a 20 year contract to make back the money he invested, which was achieved in just 6 months.

Because of it's height ET plays a role in wireless communication which might explain the armed guards roaming the grounds, which was both reassuring and alarming.

Like the Eiffel Tower there will never be another Montparnasse. Laws were enacted to make sure that modern structures were built on the edge of the city, out of sight.

We (Mary, Mary, Pat and Terry) ended the day on the floating restaurant we (Pat and Terry) visited the night before, watching the light show of the Eiffel Tower. Endless delight.