Travel Page: Paris [Part One]

In a nutshell, Paris—to me—is the most magical place I've ever been. Before I delve deep into what we did on our 5-day vacation there, I figured I'd start with the most quintessential part of our trip: the Eiffel Tower. We took the metro there, and as we rounded the corner past the subway exit, we looked up and there it was. As many times as I've seen the Eiffel Tower in movies and photos, and talked about it throughout eight years of studying French, nothing could have prepared me for how magnificent it looks up close. 

Per the advice of a friend, we watched the forecast to pick the sunniest day and waited in line to take the elevator to the top. I loved the rickety feel of the elevator as it slowly made the climb up. Then, in minutes, we were stepping through the doors and out onto a platform to take in unlimited views of Paris—the rooftops, the gardens, the Seine. Like I said, nothing could have prepared me for the beauty of that sight. 

After an hour or so, we decided to skip the elevator and slowly make the climb down. Matt managed to snap the somewhat awkward, somewhat cool photo of me above. I mean, who wouldn't want a shot of themselves inside a leg of the Eiffel Tower? It's a pic I'm happy to have, and a memory I'm happy to share.

Have you been to the Eiffel Tower? What did you think? More Paris tomorrow!