It's so pretty

It's such an overstated comment that "Paris is beautiful" or that it's "magical".

Whenever I hear such comments, I generally recoil as I am usually unconvinced by the strength of the arguments.

Paris in particular seems to garner praise as a destination that is beyond compare.

It's a nice place, but I certainly wouldn't say it's the most amazing place I've ever been.

Some things definitely exceed expectations though.

The Eiffel Tower for instance.

Who would have thought that arguably the most touristy of all tourist destinations in the world is actually a pretty amazing site?
I don't like heights though.

I seem to find myself climbing all manner of structure on my holidays.... but I really don't actually like heights.
I find myself becoming a little bit light headed and I get that shaky feeling in the legs. However, I push on, knowing that it won't be so bad once I reach the top.
It's more than not bad.

It's beautiful.

The view from the heights of the Eiffel Tower completely unobstructed and unhindered. As such, it gives a near perfect perspective of this famous city.
Then there is the tower itself.

Phil and I were fortunate enough to get there late in the afternoon when the crowds had begun to dissipate. We wandered past all of those waiting patiently in line to ride the elevators to the top, and instead walked up the stairs ourselves.

This gave us a better understanding of the scale and size of this impressive structure.

As afternoon slowly became evening, we were also treated to a startling change in the tower itself.
The lights of the city began to flicker on. We had been on our way down the tower, when we realised that we were being given a completely different view.

We decided to stay longer and stare out for just a bit more.

Eventually, we had to go.

We were getting hungry and the winds began to pick up at the top of the tower.

Even as we left, we were given more to see.
The tower began to sparkle as lights began to flash up and down its length.

As we walked further away, it became clear that the top of the tower had spotlights shining out like a lighthouse.
The Eiffel Tower is a stereotypical tourist attraction, that is beyond a doubt. However, that doesn't make it any less amazing to see. Sometimes, too many travelers become too caught up in the image of travel, and forget that people will flock to see popular sites for good reason.