Unfortunately, by the time I got to the Eiffel Tower, it was both dark, and my battery had almost died (even though I spent 20 minutes sitting around the Louvre 'borrowing' their electricity to charge it).
So after spending all day walking my little tootsies off, I found out that even on a November evening, when the weather was below freezing, there's still a line for the Eiffel Tower. I had no idea that other toursists were as crazy as me. I figured that most things would be wide open.
So, after standing in line for 40 minutes (and going through an airport style x-ray search) I was able to buy my ticket, with the warning that I was going to have to wait in line another 45 minutes between the 2nd and 3rd floors. Hooray!
On the way up to the 2nd floor, I met a few American girls from Oklahoma that were visiting Paris for some reason or another. The first thing they said when I told them I was from Utah was that Utah is a 3.2 state. I had no idea what they were talking about. It turns out that there is only 3.2% alcohol per volume in drinks sold in Utah, where as most other states have 6.2% alcohol per volume. The things you learn when you go to Paris.
After waiting in line for only about 20 minutes on the second floor, I got in the tiny elevator that takes you to the top. When I say 'the top', I mean 'the top'. It was so high up! For those of you who know me well, you'll know that I'm actually kind of afraid of heights. Well, the sight out the windows of the elevator made me think that perhaps I had gone too far in my quest to see Paris. I even asked the elevator operator if this was the same car we went down in, thinking that I wasn't even going to get out. Luckily, I at least peaked out of the doors when we reached the top and noticed that the entire observation deck is walled in, with windows. So it was very safe.
After wandering around the observation deck for a bit I noticed another set of stairs that lead upwards. I wasn't sure if I really should go up there, but then again, when was the next time I'd be in Paris? The stairs lead to the 'real top' of the tower, where it was very pretty (and cold). They had telescopes and things to look at the city, but I didn't get too close to the edge as the only thing between me and SPLAT was a metal railing and a wall of chain link fence material that bent inwards at the top of it's 8 foot height. It didn't feel too safe to me.
It took another 30 minutes in line to get the elevator back down to the ground, where it was -- surprisingly -- much warmer than I remembered it. But after all this, I only got a few pictures of the tower, and most of them aren't that good. Sorry guys.
Here's a picture of the tower from almost beneath it, in the Champs de Mars. I don't know if I care for the blue lighting, but every hour it glitters. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of that because my battery was too close to dead and I didn't want to risk not being able to take pictures from the top.
Here's a picture from the observation deck at the top. It's looking to the north east. If you look, you can see the ferris wheel at the eastern end of the Champs Elysées (the Louvre is another kilometer or two beyond that). I think the bright building on the right side is The Defense, although I don't know what it's for.
This is a picture looking southwest over the Seine. There's nothing really identifiable here (as most of 'Paris' is behind you). I also had a picture of the Arc de Triomphe from here, but it's so blurry you can't make out anything.
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