Tired of the Eiffel Tower yet? Me neither.

Hi everybody! Look at the picture of the Eiffel Tower below. Notice the first, second, and third levels. The first time that I went, I took an elevator up to the 2nd level, then to the third, and then back down to the first. Yesterday, Denise and I climbed the stairs to the second level. It seems really high in the picture, but we were surprised that it really wasn't so challenging. Really. We decided to tell everyone that we're just that athletic. But it might have been because we walked up at a pretty leisurely pace in order to take plenty of photographs...



Post-climb celebratory photograph. An identical one of Denise exists, but it is on her camera. The sign says "Stairs Only," and marks the entrance for the line to buy tickets for climbing the stairs.




Climbing the Tower





Views




Mannequins
There are quite a few peculiar faux workers hanging around the Eiffel Tower. Denise and I were quite taken by them.
A mannequin that appears to be painting the Tower.



This guy is supposed to look like he's operating the elevator. The people on the elevator can't see him, so when they noticed us taking photographs, they thought that we were taking pictures of them and excitedly waved at us. The first picture depicts Denise looking pensive about the fake man and his fake job.





Reasons to take the stairs instead of the elevator

As if seeing the guy under the elevator isn't reason enough, here are a few more:


The Eiffel Tower moves. This isn't really something that I really wanted to dwell on while one the second level of the Eiffel Tower, but below you can see a complicated apparatus involving what I think is a hologram that shows you exactly how the top of the Tower is swaying at that particular moment. It moves because of the metal contracting and expanding according to the temperature, but also because of wind. For some reason, the stairs seem more secure considering this information.




The line on the left is the one to take the elevator and the one on the right is to take the stairs. It is also cheaper, and you can still take the elevator up to the third level if you so desire.





I don't know what this is, but its condition looks like it is in need of attention from somebody more equipped than a mannequin. This is some kind of gear thing for the elevators. It looks kind of eroded.