Icing on the Tower

Paris in less than two days - Episode Eight

"It is so cold!" That was the typical refrain for a "hardy" bunch of Canadian prairie people waiting in line for the next elevator to the upper level of the Eiffel Tower. But, up we all went, braving the ice and cold breezes at the highest level for tourists on the tower. It was a great feeling being up so high, but the view just wasn't there, due to heavy fog. The middle level was much better.

We circumnavigated the centre level for that perfect snapshot of the Seine, the ships, the spires and the impressive Parliament. The view here was just awesome. The Fleuve du Seine just shimmered under the overcast sky. The bridges were beautiful and the classic edifices scattered about the area were simply majestic.

One particular fan of Billy Joel took the opportunity to coerce another team member into videotaping him "singing" the old hit song Second Wind, which the original artist recorded at the Eiffel Tower. It must have been the extreme cold that prevented the current singer from remembering most of the lyrics and basically getting the tune wrong. The videographer was most gracious in reassuring the singer that the performance was "all right."

Another prairie born couple took the opportunity for a few romantic moments on the tower, as this day was their anniversary. As they say, "when in Paris do as the Parisians do."

Coming down from the great heights, our team was satisfied and still in great awe at having experienced the sensation of seeing the world from the Eiffel Tower.

More to read, later...