I feel that one of the most iconic symbols of France is the Eiffel Tower. It is one of the first things I think about when people mention Paris or France. Seeing it for the first time I was expecting this magical moment, like the one in movies. However, there was no music in the background, no white doves, or gentle breeze blowing through my hair. Instead of that magical movie moment, it was hot, crowded, and merchants trying to sell you something every five seconds. After sitting on the lawn for about ten minutes, I could not believe that this was the place I had dreamed about seeing for years. I realized how deceiving media could be. Like you never see pictures of the dead grass full of bottle caps or the dozens of people decked out in merchandise.
It was just such a surprising experience, because literally everywhere else in the city there are people making sure that no one is littering or sitting on the grass. Then you get to the Eiffel Tower and it is like they throw all the rules out the window. It is so sad because I feel like the tourist culture in that area has ruined the overall experience of one of the greatest architectural marvels in the world.
With that said, going up the Eiffel Tower was super cool. The view from the top was absolutely amazing and it is an experience I will never forget. It was crazy how from the ground it was shorter than I imagined, but then once I got to the top, I was surprised with how high up we were. I did not appreciate how cold it was up there and how I could feel it swaying a little bit, but the photos were worth it.
