Sezane blouse (similar)
Mavi jeans (c/o)
Mango heels
APC bag
ASOS beret
Zara sunglasses (similar)
Delphine Pariente ring (similar)
Keltie Leanne Designs ring (c/o) (similar)
Mango earrings
Location: Rue de l’Universite – Paris, France
Dear friends,
For years, I’ve told you that I don’t love the Eiffel Tower. And that statement still holds true. But as we walked down avenue de la Bourdonnais this morning towards a monument I claim to dislike, with the express purpose of taking pictures with it in the background, I realised I need to explain myself properly. The fact is, the Eiffel Tower isn’t the problem.
The tower itself is lovely, in its own way – mostly from afar, I think. I love to sit on the terrasse at the Cafe du Trocadero, sipping a cafe creme and looking out at it in the distance. (The cafe itself, incidentally, was recently redone and now appears to be decorated in what I can only describe as Cee-style. Black, white, gold and marble, with velvet furnishings. It is stunning, and worth the price you pay for the location just to experience the gorgeous design.) I can’t help but smile when I turn down a side street of avenue de la Bourdonnais and see its spindly iron legs peeking out behind the residential buildings. More importantly, it is an iconic symbol of Paris, the city I love best, and for that reason, I love it, too.
I visited the Eiffel Tower before I saw any other monuments in Paris. My school tour group arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport in the afternoon, checked into our sub-par hotel, ate an utterly dismal dinner of fish in white sauce with spaghetti, then went out in the rain, across the Seine, to see what we were all anxiously awaiting.
From the ground, the tower did not disappoint. Lit up in gold against the dark night sky, it was even bigger than anyone had imagined, and beautiful, too. We took blurry photos from the street before ascending the long elevators to the top – but when we got there, I began to wonder what all the fuss was about. Firstly, the platform was packed with people. Getting a spot near a window was a tiresome and ultimately futile waiting game. After all, we were far too high up to really see anything in Paris, especially in the dark. The city was so far below that everything was tiny and unrecognisable. That trip was the highlight of my life up to that point, but it wasn’t because of the Eiffel Tower.
I’ve been up the tower several times in the years since and each time, it’s been the same. Crowded, mostly with people in a rush to check things off their travel bucket list rather than enjoy experiences. People who are oblivious or ambivalent to everyone around them because their holiday is all that matters. The views from the top truly aren’t great – if you want to see parts of Paris you can identify, you’re better off stopping at the first level. But those views are so much less appealing when you have to share them with the kind of people who give tourists a bad name. And those are the people, invariably, who visit the Eiffel Tower every day of the year.
Would I love the Eiffel Tower if I could have it all to myself? Probably not. My favourite city views are found at the top of Notre-Dame de Paris; although less expansive, they are views of the historic city centre and thus, to me, much lovelier. But would I appreciate the Eiffel Tower more if I weren’t forced to share it with a herd of people who become temporarily inconsiderate and ignorant when they are en masse? Absolutely.
And so, I content myself with enjoying views of the Eiffel Tower from the ground. Since Paris is almost always under some kind of construction, this means getting a view that isn’t obstructed by a crane, which is a nice bonus.
This morning, we share the view of the tower from rue de l’Universite with another blogger and his photographer, occasional joggers and a Ville de Paris maintenance worker. It is peaceful, if a little chilly in the shade. It’s certainly not the most popular way to visit Paris’ most popular monument, but it will always be my favourite. Afterwards, we will cross the Seine and order coffee on the terrace at the Cafe du Trocadero. It’s expensive, but less than the entry fee to the Eiffel Tower itself. And the views are infinitely better.
Ahh, I share your sentiments. But, in what can only be described as a cliché stemming from a cheesy rom-com flick, I once dated a Frenchman, whose sister worked at the Eiffel, and managed to allow us in during the wee hours of the morning, when the bulk of tourists had long gone. Though we certainly weren’t alone, it was nothing short of magical to be able to view the city, and feel as if though we were the only people there.
For me, the only other views that compare are the view from the top of Notre Dame, and the nighttime view from the very western point of Square du Vert-Galant on Pont Neuf. At Vert-Galant, there’s the willow tree with the cascading branches that need to be brushed aside to allow for the few ground view (or water level view?) facing west. But once you reach that point, and can view the city from there, it really does make you feel as if the city is yours. Said Frenchman took me there within the first ten minutes of our meeting, so that spot will forever hold a special place in my heart and mind.
I was reading this post while being glued to the saddening coverage of the Notre Dame fire, which was the first place I visited when I first went to Paris back in 1999 and it just filled me with sadness. Such a loss and really makes me appreciate the wonderfully evocative relationship you have with all of these places and structures.
Courtney ~ Sartorial Sidelines
I’ve always felt that way about the Eiffel Tower: it’s nicer to look at than to climb.
When we see the Eiffel tower in photos, it always appears to be deserted, that somehow this photographer captured a moment when no one was in the frame and it could have been for 1/2000 of a second, yet, those are the images which stay in our minds. So to be there in person and have the reality be that you can’t even edge close enough to see a view due to all the other people, I can see how that would be a huge let down. Though it is a gorgeous icon of the city, and I kind of love just seeing it in little glimpses.
Chic on the Cheap
Of course your blouse is from Sezane… I swooned as soon as I saw it!! SO beautiful + you’ve styled it perfectly too!! As for the Eiffel Tower conundrum?! It definitely sounds like it’s worth a visit and very beautiful. However, I’m not a fan of crowds either and avoid them whenever I can. I wonder what the quietest time to visit is, or if there even is one… xo
http://www.veronikanovotny.com (life + style blog)
Beautiful shots.
For me the Eiffel tower was a magical moment, my heart doubled its speed rate when I saw it, I could not believe I was there. I don’t think I had even considered going nor was it on any bucket list.
When I read about its history and how its connected to the history of the Panama Canal it made even more sense to me and felt even closer to my heart.