Eiffel Tower

I experienced very little of my fear of heights traveling up the Eiffel Tower elevator. That's probably because the structure's steel girders and beams wrapped my field of vision in protected safety. The rainy weather shrouded the summit views in an Impressionistic haze but still afforded spectacular views of the city. My favorites were the curved galleries of the Trocadero, the Seine river traffic and the golden dome of the Hotel des Invalides. The Sacre Coeur and Notre Dame Cathedral barely materialized in the distance.

The summit room also displayed small flag icons showing the directions of various countries and cities. I took some shots of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Manila, Philippines; and Los Angeles, USA.

Second floor views proved even more memorable since we were closer to the ground.  In addition, three gift shops offered some last-minute buying opportunities for a three-inch-high metal Eiffel Tower model and an "I Love Paris" t-shirt.

My fear of heights returned as we descended from the summit to the second floor, probably because the downward movement was like falling in slow-motion. The solution was simple -- I simply closed my eyes until we reached our destination.