The last time I was in Paris was in 1989. I was a young airman in the US Air Force and was on my way back to my home base, Edwards AFB, California, from a mission in Marakkesh, Morocco. I was part of a trans-Atlantic Abort Landing support team for the space shuttle.
My team had an overnight layover in Paris and a few of us decided to climb the Eiffel Tower that night. During those times, the tower was not guarded at all and anyone can climb it any time of the day. I remember the view from the top was breathtaking and I promised myself to take my wife, Tess, here someday. Well, it took 30 years, but here we are in Paris enjoying its charm and beauty and all its iconic structures, including the Eiffel Tower. This time, we hired a personal guide - Matt.
Matt immersed us with fascinating details about the tower, but most importantly he got us past all the long lines and saved us hours, literally.
I am not going to bore you with the history and details of the Eiffel Tower; you can Google them anytime. What I am going to describe is the magical moment, like to many who come to see the tower, that Tess and I felt.
The saying, “Paris is for lovers,” is true for unique and personal reasons and top of the short list is the Eiffel Tower. The tower was omnipresent from the moment we arrived in Paris and settled in our Airbnb on Avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie, a few blocks away from the tower. Like a beacon, it was our constant reference point whenever we were walking around the city.
Our magical moment happened not during the tower tour and not during the dinner boat cruise on the Seine, but on our last night in Paris. We met up with my brother, Jerry, and his family, who were also in Paris coincidentally, for dinner. Afterward, we invited them for a stroll to Trocador, a popular gathering place near the tower. As the sun was setting, we all captured the grandeur and golden beauty of the Eiffel Tower with our cameras, but more importantly we captured and forever preserved the images of love that flowed among all of us. The realization of how truly blessed we are to be able to travel long distances, in good health, to marvel at this iconic edifice that served as a backdrop and a silent witness.
Last: Bienvenue A Paris! Next: Musee Louvre
