The Eiffel Tower - Broke My Heart

I have seen the Eiffel Tower many times... in the movies.

I've always dreamed of one day seeing it in person.   Well, on July 8, 2006, just two days after my 32nd birthday, MY DREAM CAME TRUE.

I was then in Germany for a one-year training.  And on weekends, when we don't have a sponsored tour of Germany, me and some of my classmates (of the training) would take a trip outside Germany.  My Vietnamese friend organized the trip to Paris.  We registered at a travel agency and joined other tourists in a bus trip - night trip from Mannheim, Germany to Paris, France.   

After we checked in to the hotel where we will be staying, we immediately inquired about the tourist spots in Paris.  Actually, with the tour package from the travel agency, there would be a city tour the following morning. But we decided not to join the city tour because the visits to the tourist spots would be limited. So we will not have enough time to really see the place and take pictures - lots of pictures, hehehe.

So, after some instructions from the receptionist, we hurriedly found our way to the nearest train station that would take us to where the Eiffel Tower is.  

We walked hurriedly, so excited and so eager to see the landmark of Paris - the Eiffel Tower.

But.  As we neared the tower and had our first view of it,  I was for a few seconds, speechless.   The Eiffel Tower looked so . . . ORDINARY.  I said, "this is the Eiffel Tower?" 

The Tower, up close, looked so steel.  But of course, it's made of steel, hehehe.  And it looked so ordinary it got me thinking what's so special with this tower.    

The tower may look so ordinary and so steel but so many people were crowding underneath it.    

The people behind me are lining up waiting for the elevator that would take them up the Eiffel Tower for a panoramic view of Paris.   My friends and I wanted also to be up there but when we inquired, they said it would take about 2 hours of waiting before we could get our turn.   So, we decided not to go up the tower anymore and instead decided to check the area out. 

We walked away from the tower, crossed the river to the other side, so we could see a full view of it.   

The full view of Eiffel Tower, taken at the Palais de Chaillot

We had a group photo with the Eiffel  Tower.  There were 8 of us - 2 from the Philippines,  1 from China, 1 from Mongolia, 2 from Sri Lanka and 2 from India.   Mayura, from India, took this picture.

Since we had little interest of the Eiffel Tower at that moment as it looked so dull and ordinary, we decided to come back in the evening and see for ourselves if the tower really is as many claims it to be -  beautiful and romantic.  :-)  

We came back just as it was beginning to get dark.  And what we saw, again, got me speechless.

The Eiffel Tower was already all light up.  

All I could say at that moment was "WOW".   And I felt goosebumps all over my body.

And as we walked farther away, as the tower became full in view, I sighed another "WOW".   Eiffel Tower really is so beautiful.   It sure took my breath away.  I stopped walking and just stared at it.

The Palais de Chaillot was already very crowded with tourists when we arrived.

 

And I got busy taking pictures.

 Me and the Eiffel Tower, with all its beauty.

But while I was very happy to have finally seen the Eiffel Tower for real and as I was mesmerized watching it , I felt something.  

Something inside me seemed empty.  

Something was missing.  

Something was not right.   

My being there felt not right.  

I missed something.  

I MISSED PAT. 

I sighed and told myself, "Geesh, here I am in Paris, the City of Romance, looking at the Eiffel Tower . Yet, I am alone.  The love of my life is a thousand miles on the other side of the globe."  And  to make matters worst, there were so many sweet couples around.  My heart really ached watching them.  Then I whispered, "Wish you were here Pat".   And  I got teary-eyed. 

I told myself that the next time I come back to Paris and see again the Eiffel Tower, I WILL BE WITH PAT.  And we will go up the tower. And eat dinner there (if our budget affords it, hehehe).   And we would together look at the Eiffel Tower from a distance with arms wrapped around each other. 

Now, that would be romantic, ain't it?