Eiffel Towers in Search of a Photo

Today was one of those days when I kept trying to get the right photograph.

My sister-in-law Beth and her husband John found these earrings for me at a small jewelry shop, Kazana,in Paris' Latin Quarter near their hotel. Today we met at the Eiffel Tower at 10 AM.

The lines were already snaking away from the ticket windows back and forth and beyond. I spotted the shortest line: stairs only to the 2nd level.

We all agreed to walk up the first 360 steps to the 1st level, and then see how we felt. It was early. Few hardy souls were heading up, and none were coming down. A cool, clear morning, perfect for enjoying the Eiffel Tower slowly.

Every time we looked down, the lines were longer. We talked about vertigo. I feel it in the soles of my feet, my husband in his legs, Beth in her stomach, and her husband John, well, he shared information better not to share with the world.

We reached the 1st platform and toured it completely, repeatedly struck by the creativity and determination of Gustav Eiffel, his engineers, and the laborers who built this tower.

We continued on to the 2nd platform, gazing up in wonder. How did those workers reach such heights, raising heavy iron girders, hammering red-hot rivets, higher than anyone had ever built before?

1889. A time of horse drawn wagons and blacksmiths. A project completed ahead of deadline and under budget.

Which photo says it best?