Paris – Page 4 – David Enzel

La Tour Eiffel

August 12, 2025December 26, 2023

The first time I visited Paris in the mid-1970s, one of my gracious French hosts asked what I wanted to see first. I immediately said the Eiffel Tower. It’s not Paris’s most beautiful monument but nothing speaks Paris more than “la dame de fer” (Iron Lady). Seeing it for the first time sent a shiver down my spine. It’s an icon for a reason.

The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. It was constructed from 1887 to 1889 as the centerpiece of the 1889 World’s Fair. Although initially criticized by some of France’s leading artists and intellectuals for its design, it has since become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world.

The tower received almost 6 million visitors in 2022, up by 197 percent from 2021, when numbers dropped due to the COVID virus. It was designated a monument historique in 1964, and was named part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (“Paris, Banks of the Seine”) in 1991.

The tower is 330 meters (1,083 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building, and the tallest structure in Paris. Its base is square, measuring 125 meters (410 ft) on each side. During its construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to become the tallest human-made structure in the world, a title it held for 41 years until the Chrysler Building in New York City was finished in 1930. It was the first structure in the world to surpass both the 200-meter and 300-meter mark in height. Due to the addition of a broadcasting aerial at the top of the tower in 1957, it is now taller than the Chrysler Building by 5.2 meters (17 ft).

The tower has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second levels. The top level’s upper platform is 276 m (906 ft) above the ground – the highest observation deck accessible to the public in the European Union. Tickets can be purchased to ascend by stairs or lift to the first and second levels. The climb from ground level to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the climb from the first level to the second, making the entire ascent a 600 step climb. Although there is a staircase to the top level, it is usually accessible only by lift. On this top, third level is a private apartment built for Gustave Eiffel’s private use. He decorated it with furniture by Jean Lachaise and invited friends such as Thomas Edison.

The Eiffel Tower is repainted about every seven years. This rhythm was recommended by Gustave Eiffel himself. It has changed color over the years, passing from red-brown to yellow-ochre, then to chestnut brown and finally to the bronze of today, slightly shaded off towards the top to ensure that the color is perceived to be the same all the way up as it stands against the Paris sky.

“It seems to me that it had no other rationale than to show that we are not simply the country of entertainers, but also that of engineers and builders called from across the world to build bridges, viaducts, stations and major monuments of modern industry, the Eiffel Tower deserves to be treated with consideration.”
Gustave Eiffel

Every evening, the Eiffel Tower is illuminated. It sparkles for 5 minutes every hour on the hour, while its beacon shines over Paris. The projectors that illuminate the Tower are turned on in under 10 minutes. This is activated upon nightfall by sensors.

Upon the German occupation of Paris in 1940, the lift cables were cut by the French. The tower was closed to the public during the occupation and the lifts were not repaired until 1946.

Because of its size, the tower is visible from many parts of the city and a variety of interesting viewpoints. One of the joys of visiting Paris is discovering your own special viewpoints.

The puddle iron (wrought iron) of the Eiffel Tower weighs 7,300 tons, and the addition of lifts, shops and antennae have brought the total weight to approximately 10,100 tons. 2,500,000 rivets were used in its construction.

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most-visited pay-to-enter monuments in the world. Because it’s so busy, it’s a good idea to plan ahead, You can find other useful information here.

Galerie Vivienne, Paris

August 14, 2025December 21, 2023

The Galerie Vivienne is one of the most beautiful of the covered passages of Paris I’ve seen. Registered as a historical monument since July 7, 1974, it measures 176 meters (577 ft) in length and 3 meters (9.8 ft) in width.

The covered passages of Paris (French: Passages couverts de Paris) are an early form of shopping arcade built primarily during the first half of the 19th century. By 1867, there were about 183 of these passages, but their number declined sharply following Haussmann’s renovation of Paris. Today, only a couple dozen remain, all on the Right Bank.

Built in 1823 by Marchoux, President of the Chamber of Notaries, the Galerie Vivienne stands on the former site of the Hôtel Vanel de Serrant and the Petits Pères passage. Designed by architect François Jean Delannoy, it opened in 1826 under the name “Marchoux” but was soon renamed “Vivienne.” Thanks to its central location, it quickly drew crowds with its tailors, cobblers, wine shop, restaurant, Jousseaume bookstore, draper, confectioner, print-seller, and more.

The nearby Galerie Colbert—built later and containing no shops—has long been seen as a competitor. Since 1960, however, Galerie Vivienne has regained its vitality, hosting fashion and home furnishings boutiques, as well as haute couture shows. The arrival of Jean Paul Gaultier and Yuki Torii’s shops in 1986 played a key role in its revival. Today, it is home to a mix of ready-to-wear fashion, decorative arts, and specialty shops.

Both Galerie Colbert and Galerie Vivienne are now owned by the Bibliothèque Nationale. Galerie Colbert houses the Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art.

Tunnel des Tuileries, Paris

August 12, 2025December 2, 2023

The Tunnel des Tuileries is a tunnel parallel to the Seine at the Quai des Tuileries close to the Louvre. Today, the 861m long (2,825 feet) tunnel is reserved for pedestrians, bicycles and street artists. When it opened in 1967, it was used for one-way traffic from west to east as an integral part of Voie Georges-Pompidou.

In July 2022, colorful lights were installed. Artists have painted several huge frescos inside the tunnel. If you like street art, it’s worth a visit.

Pont Alexandre III, Paris

August 9, 2025June 22, 2022

The Pont Alexandre III is a deck arch bridge that spans the Seine in Paris. It connects the Champs-Élysées quarter with those of the Invalides and Eiffel Tower. The bridge is widely regarded as the most ornate, extravagant bridge in the city. It has been classified as a French monument historique since 1975.

The Beaux-Arts style bridge, with its exuberant Art Nouveau lamps, cherubs, nymphs and winged horses at either end, was built between 1896 and 1900. It is named after Tsar Alexander III, who had concluded the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1892. His son Nicholas II laid the foundation stone in October 1896. The style of the bridge reflects that of the Grand Palais, to which it leads on the right bank.

The next bridge upstream on the Seine is Pont de la Concorde and the next bridge downstream is Pont des Invalides, which is the lowest bridge crossing the Seine.

The Pont Alexandre III is one of 37 bridges and footbridges in Paris that cross the river Seine.

In the 1985 James Bond movie A View to Kill, Bond jumps from the Pont Alexandre III into a boat to catch a mysterious killer.

Film: ‘A Little Romance’

August 9, 2025March 1, 2020

A Little Romance is a 1979 American romantic comedy film directed by George Roy Hill and starring Laurence Olivier, Thelonious Bernard, and Diane Lane in her film debut.

The screenplay was written by Allan Burns and George Roy Hill, based on the 1977 novel E=mc2 Mon Amour by Patrick Cauvin.

The film follows a French boy and an American girl who meet at the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte — 50 minutes south of Paris — and begin a romance that leads to a journey to Venice where they hope to seal their love forever with a kiss beneath the Bridge of Sighs at sunset.

Diane Lane portrays an affluent, intelligent and charming teenager living in Paris. The scenes of Paris are glorious. Thelonious Bernard does a great job portraying the street smart French boy Diane Lane falls in love with. And Laurence Olivier adds a lot to the film.

Walking Along the Seine

August 18, 2025July 15, 2014

In 2014, I stumbled across Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light. The author, David Downie, is an American who has lived in Paris since 1986. He loves Paris deeply and knows it far better than I do.

You learn Paris on your own two feet.
Julia Child

Downie likes to walk and so do I. His book is divided into “Paris People”, “Paris Places” and “Paris Phenomena.” It is the places that interested me the most. For example, Downie describes a long walk along the Seine that I decided to replicate. It transformed my view of Paris because I learned how much of the city revolves around the river. I also learned just how small the city is geographically and how it seems that almost every centimeter of the city has been lovingly cultivated.

The walk begins at France’s gigantic national library — Bibliothèque nationale de France. This is the largest library I have ever seen; it houses more than 15 million books and journals. It is located near the Métro station Bibliothèque François Mitterrand right along the Seine. But not much else is nearby. The location feels desolate, modern and suburban, although the library remains within Paris’s Périphérique or beltway.

However, it was unclear to me from reading the book where the walk ended so I emailed the author who cheerfully responded with the details and even suggested a nice, reasonably priced restaurant for lunch right along the walk. The restaurant is La Fregate and is at the only spot on the walk where you have to go up to the sidewalk from the river.

I watched the city transform from stark, modern suburbs and eventually came upon Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower and on to its terminus at the Pont Mirabeau. I will never forget Le Pont Mirabeau after reading Guillaume Apollinaire’s poem in high school breathing life and love into the bridge. Seeing Le Pont Mirabeau at the end of this day-long walk was special.

The entire walk was about 10 km or 6.2 miles. The transformations within that short distance speak volumes about Paris.

At Downie’s suggestion, I also visited Buttes-Chaumont park which is even more impressive than Mr. Downie describes. He knows Place des Vosges like the back of his hand so that chapter is exceptional.

On top of the wonderful details that make Paris come to life, Downie’s prose shows a love and mastery of the English language that I appreciate. This gem of a book will teach you so much about Paris and make you want to return again and again or just to go to Paris and remain as Downie has.

LE PONT MIRABEAU
Guillaume Apollinaire

Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine
   Et nos amours
         Faut-il qu’il m’en souvienne
La joie venait toujours après la peine

        Vienne la nuit sonne l’heure
        Les jours s’en vont je demeure

Les mains dans les mains restons face à face
   Tandis que sous
        Le pont de nos bras passe
Des éternels regards l’onde si lasse

        Vienne la nuit sonne l’heure
        Les jours s’en vont je demeure


L’amour s’en va comme cette eau courante
  L’amour s’en va
    Comme la vie est lente
Et comme l’Espérance est violente

          Vienne la nuit sonne l’heure
          Les jours s’en vont je demeure

Passent les jours et passent les semaines
    Ni temps passé
    Ni les amours reviennent
Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine

          Vienne la nuit sonne l’heure
          Les jours s’en vont je demeure