I know I haven’t blogged about my European adventure yet … don’t worry, I will. It’s taken me a long time to organize my thoughts, sort through all the photos, plot out what I want to say. The trip was BIG, so I feel the blog post should honor how amazing it was. But I hate that it’s been months and months since I returned and I haven’t said much of anything at all.
But don’t fret: I am getting there. For now, let’s talk about the Eiffel Tower.
It was on my last night in Paris, after I got dressed up with all of my Parisian wear I had purchased and treated myself to a nice, slightly more expensive, yet oh-so-delicious Parisian meal, I gathered the gumption to walk along the Seine with my sights on the illuminated iconic tower.
I stayed in the Latin Quarter, which is close to the Île Saint-Louis and Île de la Cité—two islands that separate river’s current and feel so tied to the landscape of the city, connected to both sides by beautiful stone-built bridges, that they don’t seem like islands at all. On the Île de la Cité sits the famous Cathédrale Notre-Dame—a really beautiful building, whether you’re into historic churches or not. You can feel the rich history yet the building doesn’t look old, worn down or mismatched along its landscape.
I finally came to northwestern edge of the Île, and the last bridge, and there she was, towering over the city, glowing in the darkness. It was really neat to be there, in that city, and see this sight. (The pictures aren’t great, night shoots are always difficult, and I’m not a photographer.)
I did see the Eiffel Tower during the day, and a lot more up close, which was very impressive. This shot is one of my favorites from the whole trip. I like the angle and the view. The crowd was already packed by the time I arrived midmorning, so I decided not to go up to the top of the tower. The elevator line was out to the street (hundreds of feet from the entrance) and with all the walking I had already done over the two-week trip, I couldn’t climb the stairs. But I was content to walk around her legs firmly anchored into the soil.
As I walked away, I turned around a number of times to get different shots. There were a lot of people doing that as well, including couples trying to capture romantic moments together while one extended the camera out with their arm. I offered to take photos for a few of these couples I saw struggling; one couple did the same for me.
It was unfortunate the weather was gloomy and overcast that day. It would have been even more magnificent to see it in the sun.
30 at 30 Challenge: Goal #21 completed
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