When I saw the post of yours about the Eiffel Tower, FGC (https://goldtadise.com/?p=629219), it couldn’t help but make me think you went way too far in condemning a beautiful man-made structure, as well as the French in whole. So, I respond, if for nothing else just to warn any unsuspecting innocents who might otherwise be swayed by your errant views, that just because you see phallic symbols and frickin’ frogs everywhere, no one else has to buy into it. And who knows, maybe there’s even still some hope for you 😉

Yes, the Eiffel Tower is definitely an ‘Eyeful’ as you wrote, but opposite of the way you imply. It is so elegant in design, even though made of otherwise clunky iron beams. I’ve been to Paris so many times, I lost track long ago, but every time I go there, I go straight to the Eiffel Tower. It’s that amazing to me. At the urging of a Parisian friend, I once spent the whole month of August in Paris, staying in an apartment about a 10-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower (https://balloonbill.smugmug.com/Other/An-American-In-Paris-August). Every morning during that month, I walked to the tower and was there when they opened, then I climbed the stairs as far as allowed (second etage) and back down, sometimes riding the elevator to the top, too. It’s an amazing view of one of the most beautiful of cities, and I’m not even a ‘city person’.

And, shitty Olympics though they may have been, and dumb as too many of their American counterparts many French may be, you just might want to be a little more careful about wishing for destruction of the French tribe, or any tribe at all. What goes around…

The facts remain: The Eiffel Tower will always be an absolutely amazingly structure, Paris is still a beautiful city worth visiting and, most importantly, WE ARE ALL ONE!

Yes, you’re entitled to your own opinion, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Lucky me, I happen to see beauty everywhere.

I imagine with your French connection, you have been to Paris. If not, go! Although I think you have said your traveling days are over, it would be cool for you to meet me there on October 10th or November 4th, provided no nukes or any other such terrible thing happens before then that affect Paris and/or travel. I will buy you cafe/croissant at a cafe close to the tower and we can sit and marvel at the magnificence of the Eiffel Tower together and talk about how crazy this human experience is and other silly things.

GoldBalloon