Paris, The city of lights

Eiffel Tower, Paris



 

 

I've been fortunate enough to visit Paris twice and even more blessed to have had the opportunity to see the iconic Eiffel tower on both occasions. My first visit to France was on a tour with my husband and a group of other tourists from all over the world. The first experience of this structure was at night. If nobody has told you yet, Eiffel tower lights up in a burst of colour every single night. Other than seeing it yourself, a video of this spectacle is the closest you will get to experiencing the beauty it unleashes. The Eiffel tower literally SPARKLES in the night. I love fireworks and I still get excited by fireworks now as I did when I was a child. Seeing the Eiffel tower at night evokes the same level of thrill for me. Going there during the day will give you a very different experience that is equally satisfying. On our day excursion, we took the lift up to the top floor and the views of the city from up there are absolutely breathtaking!

 

What they don't tell you about the Eiffel tower though is that it is full of activity. There are always scores of people in that vicinity and that includes pick pocketers! We were fortunate to have had a local traveling with us and they warned us about the tricks they use before we got off our shuttle, so we were prepared. The tricks have probably become more 'advanced' by now but pick pocketers have a way of telling a tourist and a local apart. Tourists are an easy target. So, when you go there, whenever that will be, be aware because as people, we tend to think that these great tourist sites are crime-free but they are not. Stay alert. Keep your valuables close. Avoid talking to strangers unless you absolutely have to. Be suspicious of people who approach you even if they are 'selling something' because that could just be a ploy to distract you.

 

 

Otherwise, you'll have an awesome experience here. Be sure to find out about the tickets to get to the top floor because there were queues on both occassions that we were there. We didn't go up the lift the second time around and just as well because not being a part of a tour group then, we may have had to join the queues. Find out how you can beat the queues by getting your ticket/s ahead of time. Also, be sure to check the weather forecast. There's no point getting up the lift if you go on a cloudy or rainy day. Your views won't be as clear.