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Eiffel Tower from the eye of a tourist

Published on May 15, 2020July 3, 2021 by travelogue902 Comments

Let’s be honest, your trip to Europe is incomplete if you miss out on the skyline of Paris. Most importantly, Eiffel Tower. I have always wondered what is so special about Eiffel Tower? Many have dreamt of visiting the beauty since childhood. I remember the first time I ever wanted to visit Paris solely for Eiffel Tower was when I saw Shammi Kapoor dancing away to glory in ‘An Evening in Paris’ song from the same movie.

Before I even go about my emotional experience with the place, let us dig into some facts and history about this mesmerising architecture –

The structure was complete on March 31, 1889 and remained the tallest man-made structure for 41 years until the Chrysler Building in New York completed in 1930.
The tower opened to the public for the very first time on May 15, 1889.
It is almost 324 metres tall and weighs 10,100 tonnes.
It was also the tallest structure in France until the construction of a military transmitter in Saissac in 1973.
You can climb all the way to the top for which you need to walk up almost 1,665 steps. Hence, many prefer the lift.
Did you know the tower shrinks by six inches during winter?
The tower welcomes every year over 7 million people, making it the most-paid visited monument in the world.
The construction took two years, two months, and five days – 180 years fewer than Paris’ other big attraction the Notre Dame.
Over 20,000 lightbulbs are used to make the Eiffel Tower sparkle every night.
From evening, the Eiffel Tower sparkles for 5 minutes hour on hour while its beacon shines over Paris.

Eiffel Tower from River Seine © Travelogue90

The best part about the Eiffel Tower is you can see it from any part of the city. My first experience with the monument came through the River Seine cruise. I had a long flight from India and this cruise was a breather in the evening. On a Friday evening, I was standing at the top berth of the cruise and soaking all the cool breeze. It was perfect sunset and seemed like the sunset illuminated differently that day when I saw the Eiffel Tower so close from cruise.

Eiffel Tower architecture © Travelogue90

I could not wait for the next day to watch the Tower up, close, and personal. No wonder Eiffel Tower is considered a symbol of love, it was love at first sight for me when I saw its grandeur. If you want to experience it, nothing matches the climb to the top. Yes, there is a lift but then you miss that little adventure and the architecture. Of course, there is COVID-19 on now, else the Eiffel Tower is open all year round from 9 AM to midnight.

View from Eiffel Tower 3rd floor © Travelogue90

I visited the place during the peak tourist season (May to September). There was line but as they say some experiences are worth the wait. The line movement is quick and we managed to get in within an hour. We decided to take the stairs and as I reached, the view was breathtaking. The third floor, the peak point of the Eiffel Tower, is the ideal point.

From this floor, the view is up to 85 kms, but theoretically, we get to see points 126.5 kms. You can take as many hours you want to catch the views of the city from left, right, and center. Even those few hours seem like seconds. While you take a look at the view, do not miss on some ice lollies or doughnuts in the floor.

View from Eiffel Tower 1st floor © Travelogue90

While coming down, the stairs might seem steep but is worth it. Head to the first floor all the way and you will find hive of activity with restaurants, exhibition, various look-out points, and a documentary showing all the history related to the tower. Oh, missed a very crucial fact here, did you know the Tower literally moves with the wind? Yes, you can witness that from first floor. Also, the entry point view from the first floor makes the people look like caterpillars. I even found the perfect caterpillar shape.

The second floor too is pretty buzzing with restaurants and buffet. But the views from the first and second floor are incomparable to what you get to see from the top. The panorama view from the top is mind boggling and difficult to express in words. At the top of the antenna is an exclusive restaurant for which you need to make bookings. With a glass of champagne it is the perfect romantic experience with a view.

The exit point has seating arrangement and souvenir shop where you get the mini Eiffel Towers . You could also head to the lawn and admire the grandeur of this monument.

Eiffel Tower from the exit point © Travelogue90

While travelling the world is a dream of almost every traveller, seeing the Eiffel Tower in its flesh is definitely a moment that goes on your travel bucket list for life (maybe again and again and again).

Although the actual birthday is on March 31st, you came into our lives on May 15. So, Happy Birthday, Eiffel Tower! 🙂

Life as a part-time traveller

Published on November 13, 2019July 3, 2021 by travelogue902 Comments

In the recent past I have noticed a sudden boom in the travel blogging space. Some have quit their jobs and invested their all for the nomadic experience. Then there are those who have taken Dalai Lama’s quote seriously, ‘Once a year go some place you’ve never been before.’ I fall under the second category and we group of people have a term as well – part-time travellers. It is a phrase that has been bandied around the travel community for a while now.

It is the focus of my blog, rather my ‘niche’ as some would say. However, the moment I mention part-time travel, I am welcomed with host of questions. People outside the travel ‘blogosphere’ do not get it. I was thinking of varied topics to write on and came across a discussion on Twitter recently.

One of the travel bloggers, Darcy Vierow, made a serious statement – ‘Guys, the struggle is real. Between the day job, some recent family obligations, and home life obligations, it’s been really hard to keep my head above water and still breathe some life into my blog. Please tell me I’m not the only one.’

It dawned up on me, she is absolutely right. She pretty much summed the life of a part-time traveller, in fact. I work almost 10 hours, five days a week. I have mortgages, career, home, and personal life that need attention as well. But that does not stop me from travelling.

I was not much into travelling initially until I headed to my first international trip to South East Asia. I had the knack of clicking pictures through smartphone and my regular Canon camera, but the thought of making a side hustle of it never crossed my mind.

I know this side hustle required all my time and attention initially for growing it. Hence, I started with an Instagram page. Since I got good response from the page, I extended it to Facebook and soon Twitter as well. The next hurdle was starting a website which needed complete attention. But my 10-hour job and other obligations, only gave me weekends to concentrate on it. Yet, that never stopped me from giving some life to my passion – travel.

Part-time travel, simply put, is travelling. The term for me typically means heading for a heritage walk within my city, weekend breaks, short to long haul getaways. These are all different forms of part-time travel which we all embrace today.

Nowadays, majority of people that love travelling do part-time travel. There are a few who are in a position for extended holidays or embrace the full-time role. I try to squeeze in my wanderlust as much as my annual leave allows.

Here are some reasons why I adore part-time travelling –

1) Excitement: Considering the work and personal stress consumes most part of the year, the eagerness to a visit a new place brings back all the happiness. The moments away from your puzzled mind and life at home are rare and precious.

2) Layer of security: A cushion of money that the 9-6 job offers me is something I can invest for the comfort of my next trip. Travelling requires sustainability, especially if you look at it from a long-term perspective. Budgeting and monitoring the funds is crucial while wander-lusting.

3) Flexibility: Ask any nomad and they will tell you how much they miss birthdays, weddings, brunches, the latest Netflix series, and so on. Adjusting your travel according to special events at home is a daunting task for full-time travellers. This year I had decided to head to Australia. Owing to a special family event, I had to push it back to next year. Thankfully, part-time travellers have that convenience.

4) New adventures right outside the doorstep: I stress on the fact that nothing beats being touristy in your hometown than any place on the globe. You could discover new restaurants or hangout spaces. I guarantee you that there is a whole new world unexplored right outside your doorstep.

5) Relationships: Exploring new places also builds new relationships. During my trip to Europe, South East Asia, and Dubai, I encountered people from different spheres and countries. There are a few who form a part of my memory while others are still in around me.

Over the past four years, I have travelled to 7 countries, apart from my home country India. Yes, with family, career, and financial obligations, it is not possible to completely divert all the attention to exploring several new places in a year’s time and inject some quality on your blog as well. But maintaining the right balance along with other facets, is what I love about my daily life. A balance that is slowly and steadily taking my travel passion a step ahead each day.

Here’s to those who manage all the spheres of life and enjoy time to travel. Here is to all my part-time travel bloggers.