The Famous Eiffel Tower

For those of you who know me, you know that I'm not a fan of heights. I don't like to fly. I don't like roller coasters, and I definitely don't like the top of the Eiffel Tower. Well, on this trip, I didn't have much choice going to the top because I had a group of students with me, who were also needing to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Fortunately for me, I HAD to go to the top. And, wow, what a view!

These two pictures are from the view from the top. I carefully snapped a few pictures before heading back down to the ground.

Even the trash containers contained the image of the famous Eiffel Tower. (You can't go anywhere in Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower images all around.)

Security is tight here. Bags are checked. Police presence is known.

I bought Eiffel Tower keychains (6 keychains for 1 Euro), Mom's tote, and Amy's miniature Eiffel Tower from the Africans who stood around, hoping for the business of the tourists.

On our last day in Paris, we stopped by this spot. It's the best spot in Paris to take pictures of the Eiffel Tower. Now, when I look at people's travel pictures, I recognize this very spot!

History of the Eiffel Tower
My Eiffel Tower history was little to none before this trip. Since then, I've been told and discovered many interesting facts.

• It was built for the International Exhibition of Paris of 1889, commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution.
• Gustave Eiffel is its designer/creator.
• It took 300 steel workers and 2 years to construct it.
• It has...15,000 iron pieces, 40 tons of paint....and 1,652 steps to the top

The tower was almost torn down in 1909 because many Parisians thought it was an eye-sore. It was saved because of its antenna used both for military and other purposes, and the city let it stand after the permit expired. When the tower played an important role in capturing the infamous spy Mata Hari during World War I, it gained such importance to the French people that there was no more thought of demolishing it. 

Volterra, Italy

Of all the places I went to this summer, Tuscany was by far my favorite. Of course, saying a province is my favorite rather than one city feels a little like cheating. I didn't know Tuscany was a province before my trip; I knew it was in Italy, but that was about it. The places in Tuscany where I toured were Volterra, Florence, and Pisa.

My favorite above all was Volterra. Take a look at my pictures. How could this NOT be a favorite? Now Volterra is known for its bad vampires, thanks to the Twilight series. That made it entertaining to hear the connections to the book, but there was so much more! It didn't feel like a typical tourist site. The town felt small, and it felt like you were in Italy surrounded by Italians. Other places just felt like you were touring with other tourists. See the distinction?

Do you want to save Edward (New Moon)? Well, this is the location where Bella saved him. Too bad she got to him before we did!

The above pictures are from a site discovered about 60 years ago. It appears to have been a theater. As you can see from the pictures, they were unable to keep digging because the city walls are up against it. It was amazing to see the layers of history in Volterra.

After finishing a city tour, it was time for lunch. We got quite a surprise when the owner of the restaurant took us below and chained the entrance. He left us with the Volturean vampires. Unfortunately for me, I was the chosen one, as I had to lie on the table. One bit me, but once the theatrics were over, we got to take pictures with them. We eventually enjoyed lunch! I'm glad I wasn't lunch, too!

Our hotel

The view from my hotel room

Our tour guide pointed to the entrance of Volterra. This arch was saved by the people of Volterra when it was planned by the Army to blow it up during World War 2.