Eiffel, je t'aime
Of all the landmarks in Paris, the Eiffel Tower is the one most identified to the French capital.
Not that the Arc de Triomphe is less French, but the Eiffel Tower can be considered as the symbol of France, like Big Ben to England. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, civil engineer and architect, have designed buildings, structures, bridges, and viaducts from different parts of the world. The Western railway station in Budapest, Hungary. Casa de Fierro in Inquitos, Peru. The General Post Office in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. Palácio de Ferro in Luanda, Angola. Statue of Liberty in New York, United States. Apart from the last one, none of the four, or his other creations, have the romantic appeal of the Eiffel Tower. It's 1,063 feet tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building. It was the tallest man-made structure in the world, surpassed by Chrysler Building (in New York City) forty one years later after its opening.
Opened in March 31, 1889, in time for the World Fair, the landmark was supposed to be temporary, to be torn down twenty years (after its opening). In fact, it was the subject of controversy, as some critics don't believe it was feasible, while others didn't support Eiffel's artistic vision, part of that longstanding debate between architecture and engineering. But the native of Côte-d'Or prevailed, the tower standing 125 years later. Nowadays, La Tour Eiffel can't be missed, visibly seen on daylight. But dusk is the best time to see it, the lights turning it into Neverland-like place. (It was Pierre Bideau's idea to illuminate the tower from the inside.)
Here are more interesting trivia:
1. The names of 72 engineers, mathematicians, and scientists are engraved on the four sides of the tower. This was Eiffel's homage to the Frenchmen who have excelled in those fields. (Great men, they all were.)
2. The tower must be repainted every seven years. (How tiresome!)
3. It's open every day, including Sundays and Christmas. (How nice.)
4. Visitors must be fit enough to climb 1,710 steps, 360 to the first floor and 1,060 to the second. As for the remaining steps, there's no need to figure out. (Good thing there are elevators!)
5. Permission must be needed to take photographs of the Eiffel Tower at night time. (Strange, but true.)
6. In 1923, a journalist attempted to cycle down the stairs from the first floor (Crazy fellow!)
7. In 1940, Adolph Hitler wanted to visit the tower. Someone sabotaged the elevators, so he could use the stairs instead. (How heroic!)
8. During Bastille Day, spectators can enjoy a firework show. (Splendid!)
9. The Eiffel Tower has 2.5 million rivets. (Really?!)
10. In a scene similar to Patrice Leconte's "La fille sur le pont", a lady attempted to end her life, only to survive on the top of the car. She ended up marrying the owner. Tom Cruise also proposed to Katie Holmes on the top of the tower. (Those were the happier days.) In 2007, an American woman "married" Eiffel Tower. (Believe it or not.)
