The Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in Paris and is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. We visited this structure on the morning of our first full day of the tour. We were able to take the elevator up to the second floor and take many pictures of the awesome panoramic-view of Paris. Kristi and I decided to take the stairs down the tower when we were ready to go. There are 340 steps to the first level and 337 steps to the ground floor. Needless to say, once we got down the 677 steps, my legs were like Jell-O. :o)

During an Illuminations Tour of the city that night, we again stopped at the tower. At exactly 10pm, flashing lights are turned on for a few minutes. This is in addition to the lights already illuminating the tower during the evening. On New Year’s Eve 2000, the Eiffel Tower was used in the Paris’ Millennium Celebration. It was made to look like the opening of a Champaign bottle: it started with flashing lights up the tower (like bubbles), then fireworks were set to resemble when the cork is released and the liquid shoots everywhere. The flashing lights were supposed to be a one time occurrence, but the Parisians liked it so much, the government decided to keep it going. Seven years later, the tradition is still going strong.

View the movies below to get another look at the Eiffel Tower.