The Eiffel Tower

When we were finally able to hoof it in France, I became very impatient. I couldn't get to things fast enough now. But that impatience quickly dissolved when I actually started to look around me.

Beauty everywhere. As I have said before, there is an aura about Paris, a history that is indescribable.

Our first destination was the Eiffel Tower. Our kids weren't really old enough to realize just what they had in the palms of their hands but to this very day, they have memories of things that really mattered very little to us but all the same are imbedded in their heads.

So, we get to the Eiffle Tower. I am terrified of heights, vertigo, nausea, you name it I am it. But I wasn't going to miss out on this for some dumb phobia. I think Pat was a little annoyed with me but I didn't care, my invalid fears were valid to me.

We took a long elevator ride up to the second to the top level. If our memory serves correctly, the top level was closed.

All the way up I was freaking out as it was kind of a rickety ride. Well at least that's how I perceived it. "What if it's windy? Do you think it's safe for the kids? What if there's no protection around the railing? What if, what if what if...?" Poor Pat, he was so patient with me even though I knew I was driving him nuts. Ugh, I was a basket case.

Finally, we arrived at our destination. At that point I didn't know if I was relieved to be safely out of closed doors (I'm claustrophic too) or if I was just anxious to take a quick look and be done. Who knew. Slowly the elevator started to empty and it was our turn.

We stepped off the elevator, me making sure I had a hold of the girls with a grip of steel with my head down. Then I had no choice, I had to look and when I did all my fears just went "poof"...vanished.

Oh, what a view it was and what a huge city Paris is! To see it from that vantage point was amazing! I remember looking down at the garden and being so proud of my accoplishment that day. The garden was beautiful. Really, what wasn't beautiful right?

We stood up there for about 20 minutes, walked around and just looked. I don't remember much of what we pointed out or what we could see, just that I was in awe of so much while up there. Things were so tiny, I felt as though we were in a dream. People were so little and to think that we were down on the ground just moments before walking this road or driving on that road.

Our 'guides' pointed out many things to me but I was definately in my own world. I was trying so very hard to take it all in because I knew, in a couple weeks, this would in fact all seem like a dream, one in which I don't know that we will ever be able to return to. And I grew sad inside.

(I took pictures, and I know, I promised to put them up, and I will, I hate breaking promises. But you will see them.)

It was time to make the descent. Time to move on to our next destination. I didn't want to go down, I wanted to stay there, to feel the wind on my face, to feel that freedom that Pat and I had found on this new land. One in which not many we know understand.

Excitement boiled inside at the prospect of our next stop, Notre Dame, in more ways than one can imagine. But with each thing we did, that sadness would also grow because that meant our one day in Paris wasn't standing still, wasn't waiting just because I didn't want it to end.

But end it was going to. When we reached the bottom, I wanted to buy a souvineer. The best thing I could come up with, and it had to be small, and possibly not breakable with our trip home fast approaching, not to mention I had very little time in which to look because the day wouldn't wait...and gee, what did I get? LOL

I grabbed a tiny replica of the Eiffel Tower mounted on a small piece of marble. Some cheap little plastic gold knick knack that still lingers somewhere in this house. And each time I take it out and look at it I chuckle. Pat teased me so much for that purchase and called me 'such a tourist'. But what can I say...I wanted to show people close up what level we stood on!