Eiffel Tower Blasphemy?

[Happygoin]

I may start a firestorm for saying this but here goes... I really think that the Eiffel Tower looks cheesy when it twinkles for those ten minutes every hour. To me, it seems like a matinee idol who is begging for MORE attention. And for heavens sake, it's the Eiffel Tower! It's not like we're NOT going to notice it when we walk by. Am I just being a curmudgeon?? (I always feel better when I get these rants off my chest early in the day ;D)

[catherine]

I'm very happy for you to think it is cheesy, happygoin, however, I LIKE it! I like the way my night-time photos turn out with the lights all blurred from my poor photographic techniques. But even more, I like the way my photos of the tower reveal the period in which I visited - as the light display has changed over the years. I have my old 1997 photos with a big 'J - 907' illumined across the second tier, counting down 907 days until the millenium. Now I have my modern 'christmas tree-like' photos of the twinkling lights. Only thing is, I need something new for next visit!! I propose COLOURED sparking lights - red, white and blue would be fitting don't you think! What a great idea for Bastille Day. I should get on to L'Office du Tourisme de Paris pronto with my idea!

[GitteK]

catherine - don't worry. On the night of the 14th July the Tower is LOADED with fireworks - rockets and fountains and huge cascades of fire all the way up to the top !!
I LOVE FIREWORKS !
And whether or not that big pile of iron is "architecture" or not. I don't care. To me she is a symbol and it always make my heart leap to see her lit up in the dark, it means >>I AM IN PARIS AGAIN !!!!!<<
But then again I am so childish - I feel the same way about Notre-Dame. I never enter (have been there many times now) - but I like the look of it on my first day in Paris. You know, just to convince myself that this is actually true, I am NOT dreaming !!

[Happygoin]

Good Heavens! Red white and blue lights you say!!?? Sparkling and jumping out the top!!?? Egads...what's next...a big disco ball?? Just kidding...I loved the millenium countdown thing. I was there is '97 too, and have pictures squirreled away someplace. I love fireworks too, Gitte. Big kid, me. There is a HUGE fireworks show here, in conjunction with the Boston Pops on the Esplanade each year on the 4th of July. It's just great.

[luckyluc]

A disco ball would be TO MUCH but my favorite is the searching light in Paris sky. But I must confess that I do prefer the tower from far away. Actually Truffaut brought me in his neighbourg kitchen and "Bang" there it was. I could for once, imagined myself doign dishes...

[sistereurope]

Sorry HappyGoin, I have to disagree. It might be cheesy, but I kinda like seeing it sparkle unexpectedly. Maybe I'd grow tired of it if I lived there - oh, if I only could have the opportunity to grow tired of it

Now on the other hand, a disco ball in Notre Dame would be REALLY cheesy!

[Happygoin]

I just knew no one would agree with me. I don't care (~foot stamp~ I hate the twinkling. And I swear, if I ever see a disco ball within a mile of the place, I'm writing Paris off as my favorite city. OH! I watched Casablanca the other night..."we'll always have Paris..." I just love that movie...~sigh~

PS. Luc, I might not mind doing dishes if it provided me with a lovely up-close view of the ET either!

[Truffaut]

I vote for "curmudgeon". I LOVE the twinkling!!! And....there is a disco ball within a mile of the E.T.--at Queen on the ave des Champs-Elysées!

[Happygoin]

Aaaarrrghhhh!!!! Heathens! All of you!

[andi]

Happygoin........how could you? LOL To me the tower is the heart of Paris, I don't mind being a heathen.

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Sorry, I'm voting curmudgeon (is that a reason for "riots" in Paris?). We love it, and feel it's winking at us (believe it or not, we didn't get the pattern ourselves, and thought perhaps it was random -- which actually might be more fun!).