Ten years ago today Sergio and I were in Paris. He had surprised me earlier in the year with tickets to Paris for my birthday which is actually tomorrow. This year to celebrate we had planned a long weekend by the beach but that obviously will not happen.
So this year I find myself reflecting not only upon the past year but also this wonderful birthday, ten years ago, that took me to one of my favorite cities in the world. Since Sergio and I cannot celebrate by sipping drinks somewhere warm and tropical, I thoought I’d share photos from this birthday celebration from the past. The memories still bring me so much happiness.
BosGuy 
Happy Birthday, and thanks for the memories. I lived in Paris for a year attending grad school. There is no city like Paris, though Montreal comes close.
There is an apartment on the upper level of the Eifel, but I doubt it’s on the rental market. Sorry. I guess Sergio will have to find other acconmodations for next visit.
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Happy birthday indeed.
May I send you « gifts » ? You placed a photo of the Eiffel Tower. May I tell you things even Paris inhabitants do not even know about it ?
The top of the tower moves a lot every day because of the wind (there’s nothing higher in France than the Eiffel Tower) and the sun hitting the Tower causes much metal expansion every day.
From bottom to top, each floor of the Eiffel Tower is painted in a slightly different color gradient. Why ? Because of the perspective ! The Eiffel Tower is 300 m ++ high (980 feet ++ high). If you stand by a 980 feet straight road without shade, all made of the same tar, you would be given the impression that the tar is lighter at 980 ++ feet than at your feet. This system of color gradient is to « compensate » this impression. If there was not this color gradient, unaware tourists would be given the impression it is painted with three different colors.
Gustave Eiffel, the builder of the Eiffel Tower invented the garter belt that you may see as the 4 legs of the Tower.
When Eiffel built his Tower, he had a trouble. It is next to the river Seine, the land to build the tower is like a swamp and the tall tower may be too heavy. How to avoid that it may sink in the swamp ? All the weight would be divided by two by two by two… indefinitely (the four « legs » made of legs of legs of legs…). So the tower doesn’t stamp heavily in one place and much lighter somewhere else. The « stamp » is equal everywhere but in many places on the ground.
So reduced to the square inch, Eiffel calculated that the Eiffel Tower stamps less the ground under it than the spike of a stiletto heel.
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Thank you! I loved learning this.
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¡¡¡AMO Paris!!!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
There will always be Paris…
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