Visited and spent a day at the symbol of Paris and of France, the Eiffel Tower, one of the best known
monuments in the world. The Eiffel Tower was built by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Exposition Universelle,
which was to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the French Revolution. Its construction in 2 years,
2 months and 5 days was a veritable technical and architectural achievement. The tower was met with
resistance from the public when it was built, with many calling it an eyesore and one that did not merge
with the architecture of Paris. Novelist Guy de Maupassant ate at a restaurant at the tower regularly,
because it was the one place in Paris he was sure he wouldn't see it. As the tower later proved valuable
for communication purposes, it was allowed to remain after the expiry of the permit. The military used it to
dispatch Parisian taxis to the front line of the Marne, and it therefore became a victory statue of that battle.
It was also used to catch the infamous "Mata Hari," and after this, its demolition became unthinkable to the
French population. It is decorated with 20,000 light bulbs each have a low power of 6 watts and light up
randomly, as each bulb is separate from the others.
