Ramblings of a retiree in France
Yes, the Eiffel Tower turns 132 today. It opened in 1889 for the Exposition Universelle of Paris and the first visitors were Buffalo Bill and the British Royal Family – bet that was a fascinating chat!
It was supposed to be dismantled after 20 years, but was saved by having a telegraph transmitter attached to the top. It’s now the most loved icon of Paris, though some people love it more than others. In 2008 a woman “married” the Eiffel Tower and changed her name to Erika La Tour Eiffel.
It’s currently being painted for the 20th time, a job which has to be done regularly and requires a stonking 60 tonnes of paint. “Yellow-brown” is a colour that her designer, Gustave Eiffel favoured, and is the colour chosen for Madame Eiffel as she is affectionately known, a little hint of gold, to have her dressed up for the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Here’s 10 further fun facts about our Birthday Girl:-
1. It was the world’s tallest man-made structure for 41 years until the completion of the Chrysler Building in New York in 1930.
2. The Eiffel Tower is 324 metres tall (including antennas) and weighs 10,100 tonnes. That’s about forty times the height of the Statue of Liberty.
3. The Tour is repainted every seven years.
4. In 1960 Charles de Gaulle proposed temporarily dismantling the tower and sending it to Montreal for Expo 67. The plan was rejected which must have made a lot of people breathe a sigh of relief – imagine if they had lost one of the 18,000 metal parts or 2.5 million (yes million) rivets, or if they lost the plans for how it all goes together!
5. If you’ve ever been up the tower in the wind and thought it was moving – you’re probably right, it sways around six to seven centimetres (2-3 inches) in the wind.
6. Every evening, the Eiffel Tower is lit up and literally sparkles for 5 minutes every hour on the hour, thanks to 20,000 light bulbs. Energy saving projectors are used to light the “The Iron Lady”.
7. The famous Beacon emits a light beam which reaches out for miles, scanning the skyline of Paris and reflecting the tower’s position as a universal and symbolic landmark.
8. The Chamber of Commerce of Monza and Brianza (Italy ) valued the Eiffel Tower at 434 billion € in August 2012! This apparently makes it Europe’s most valuable commodity.
9. Around 7 million people a year visit the tower, it is the world’s most visited, paid monument.
10.There are 1665 steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Take the lift!
Head to the famous viewing platform to look over the city of light with this fabulous free virtual tour.
Wow! Happy Birthday Eiffel Tower.. beautiful!
LikeLiked by 4 people
Merci Cindy
LikeLiked by 1 person
🌷🌷🙏❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful pics!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Merci
LikeLike
Pretty all lit up but I could do with out the sparkles.
LikeLiked by 3 people
😎
LikeLiked by 1 person
These were interesting facts–none of which I knew! Thanks, Sheree.
LikeLiked by 3 people
My pleasure Lois
LikeLike
Great pics and facts. 🙂
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks
LikeLike
I’ve been to that café Le Recrutement, mainly to get in out of the rain. Since it is near the army museum, I thought it would be something about recrutement into the army, but it turned out to be a rugby-themed pub. They were very friendly, though, even to someone like me who is totally ignorant of rugby.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Interesting
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed, the Tower is currently partly covered with sheets, not the best time to take pictures, but still, its silhouette is unique.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Indeed
LikeLike
I haven’t been so I apprentice the information. Happy Birthday Eiffel
LikeLiked by 3 people
😎
LikeLiked by 1 person
How gorgeous. Happy birthday to Eiffel Tower.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks
LikeLike
Well… If it was a Person he/she will be making a world age record of all time It deserves a spot in Hall of Fame
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Vincent
LikeLike
Tour Eiffel: Happy 132nd Birthday
On Wednesday, March 31, 2021, View from the Back wrote:
> Sheree posted: “Yes, the Eiffel Tower turns 132 today. It opened in 1889 > for the Exposition Universelle of Paris and the first visitors were Buffalo > Bill and the British Royal Family – bet that was a fascinating chat! It was > supposed to be dismantled after 20 years, b” >
LikeLiked by 2 people
I love viewing the Eiffel Tower from many parts of Paris 🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks to that, and the Seine, it’s pretty impossible to get lost.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does make it quite easy to get around Paris 🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always on foot
LikeLike
Always. We have never used public transport in Paris 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! Happy Birthday Eiffel Tower.
LikeLiked by 2 people
😎
LikeLike
I love imagining Buffalo Bill and the British Royal Family together! Happy Birthday beautiful Eiffel Tower.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know!!!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Short story ahoy!
LikeLiked by 2 people
😎
LikeLiked by 2 people
Now this really makes me miss travel. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re very welcome
LikeLike
Thank you so much for this post, Sheree! In 1992, the company I worked for sent me to Paris on a business trip for 4 days. I visited the Eiffel Tower a few times, always fascinated, but to afraid of heights to go up into it. I loved the tower and the sidewalk cafes, the flowerboxes on the outside of apartments … in short, I fell in love with Paris in just 4 days. I did not wand to come back to the U.S., but unfortunately, I only know about 3 words of French and … well, I needed a job, so I came back. Thanks again … I enjoyed this!
LikeLiked by 3 people
My pleasure Jill
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even though I ran around it during the Paris Marathon I had no idea it was so tall. It’s probably a good thing Charles de Gaulle got a “Non”
LikeLiked by 2 people
Absolutely
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve only seen it from the air. Someday……
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you get to visit Paris
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Sheree. Me too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
On my list of dream holiday locations….one day
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’ll be worth it
LikeLiked by 1 person
132 years of welcoming so many visitors.
Beautiful capture !
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks
LikeLike
I had no idea! Thank you for such a fun post about such a loved piece of Paris. Do you think Mrs. Eiffel was happy in the end?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Who knows, who cares!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s on the Bucket List. Thanks for the tour, Sheree. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure Mark
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stunning photos of Paris!
I love the gargoyle keeping a vigilant watch over the city at night ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fantastic facts about the Eiffel tower Sheree! I can’t believe they even considered moving it to Montreal! And the “marriage” had me laughing loud!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😎
LikeLiked by 1 person