|
 
On March 31st, 1889 the Eiffel Tower
was born, weighing a whopping 10,100 tons. In one of the world's longest
deliveries, this cute bundle of puddle iron took 2 years, 2 months and 5 days
to emerge from its womb and scrape the Parisian sky. Mothers, take note. That's
approximately 9 trimesters!
Who could birth something of this size? Well, the lineage of
the Eiffel Tower is a matter of debate. France's
illegitimate child had many parents, including Gustave Eiffel, Maurice
Koechlin, Emile Nouguier, Sophie Germain, and Satephen Sauvestre. Fortunately,
there isn't a custody battle over France's iron orphan. Years ago, the
Eiffel Tower
was adopted by the City of Paris.
Maybe as a result of its adoption, the Eiffel
Tower has been something of a rebel in
Paris, letting
bungee jumpers like A J Hackett leap off its ledge. Even at the ripe old
age of 118, the Eiffel
Tower continues to sport
72 "tattoos" all over its facades. The 72 tattoos not only are famous
French scientists and engineers but are particular role models to the Eiffel Tower
due to their commendable contributions to France and the world.
The Eiffel
Tower may be a bit of a
rebel, but it's never been rude. Every day, tourists from around the world
visit its hangout at Champ de Mars, Paris,
75007. If you could ask the Eiffel
Tower itself about its popularity,
you might be surprised to hear that, "I had a mere 6,719,200 guests in 2006."
Hosting so many guests can make for a real mess, but the
City of Paris keeps the Eiffel Tower fresh and clean. Each year, the Eiffel Tower
is treated with 10,000 doses of detergent and 400 liters of metal cleaner; four
tons of rag wipes are then used to dry the structure. Mon dieu! Even for a building in the City of Lights, that seems extravagant to me.
Why don't we stroll on over and visit the Eiffel Tower
for ourselves? We can air-dry from the salty sea waters of the Great Barrier Reef atop our old friend, Eiffel. Then, after enjoying a fabulous view of the City of Romance, we can find some incredible French pastries at a
Parisian patisserie and take an evening stroll along the magnificent Seine. Allons-y!
Next Stop…. The
"Lean Down" on The Leaning Tower of Pisa
Resources
http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_tower
http://www.travel2009.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3&Itemid%20=1
http://www.fromparis.com/modules/imagebank_display_thb.php?number=000073_07
| 
Re: The Eiffel Tower: Born to Be Wild
