La Tour Eiffel!

La Tour Eiffel was built by Gustave Eiffel as an arched entrance to the 1889 World's Fair. It is 324 meters (1,063 feet) tall. It was never meant to be permanent, it was to be taken down after the Fair. There was an economic crises, and the city didn't have the funds to take it down.

The tallest building in Paris, it is one of the most visited sights on the planet. But, my favorite story about La Tour Eiffel took place during the Nazi occupation.

The French cut the lift cables when Hitler took over Paris so that he would have to climb up the stairs to get to the top of the tower. Hitler never climbed up. A few of his heinous henchmen did, to plant a Nazi flag at the top. The wind blew it away. They say that Hitler may have conquered Paris, but not the Eiffel Tower! But the best part of this story is: at the end of the war, Hitler gave orders to Dietrich von Chioltitz, military Governor of Paris at the time, to destroy the entire city of Paris and leave it in rubble! This order was disobeyed. Hitler famously called him on the phone, screaming in an apoplectic rage, "Is Paris burning?!" Merci to Dietrich von Chioltitz, who negotiated with his enemy, the French Resistance to keep the city intact and to organize a peaceful surrender for himself and his troops; many valuable and historic monuments still exist in Paris today.

Twice it should have been destroyed ... that is one good luck tower!

I am a sucker for anything that sparkles. Call me crazy, cra-a-a-azy! I love, love, love it that La Tour Eiffel sparkles at the top of the hour every hour. Voilà, un petit sparkly video below. 

Gros bisous qui brille et a demain!

Love, Charley