For her, Paris was always a place she considered traveling to, but never did. It was her “one day.” She heard many stories about its magic and the way it lures you in. When she and her boyfriend finally had the opportunity to go, they jumped on it. After all, it was the cheapest flight from their current travel destination, Israel, into Europe. How could they complain? Paris was supposed to make you fall in love all over again, and they could have used the trip.
Seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time is a right of passage for travelers. Your whole life, you see it plastered on everything from wall plaques, to coasters, to t-shirts. Seeing it for the first time in person may be cliche, but cliches exist for a reason. Needless to say, she wanted her first date with the Eiffel Tower to be a memorable one. She booked an Airbnb for her and her boyfriend at a place that supposedly had the best view of it all.
When you arrive in Paris, it’s like the big reveal. She liked that about it. Departing from the airport, there is no way to see the Eiffel Tower. But, when you get closer to the center of the city, it starts coming into view. You can just see the very tip of it. It’s not until you get off the bus, that you get a good glimpse of the upper portion. The view is not yet perfect, but it’s a good introduction.
Finally, after a two hour bus ride, they arrived at their Airbnb. The sun had just gone down, and the temperature was a bit chilly. After lugging their suitcases and bags up a few narrow staircases, an elevator, and to the door, they were finally able to say, “We’re here.” They were exhausted and dishevelled after their flight, bus journey, and swift adjustment to the climate change. The host let them in, and they gave a sigh of a relief. The blind date with the Tower had nearly commenced.
After some small talk and dropping the bags on the floor, the host showed them to the balcony where the view of the Eiffel Tower was. “Would it be as good as the photo?” she wondered. The host slid open the glass door, and there it was, twinkling like a meteor shower in the middle of the desert. Every hour on the hour, the Eiffel Tower does this magnificent light show. They weren’t sure if it was 6 PM or 9 PM, but the tower was welcoming them nevertheless. Besides, time hardly matters when you’re in Paris. How was it that the exact moment those doors slid open, the tower was doing her thing? It seemed like it had to be a set up, but it wasn’t. It was perfect. She looked absolutely stunning.
After admiring the view and being left in the Airbnb alone, they took the bottle of half-finished wine from the kitchen that the host had left for them. They walked onto the balcony, and took in the view. At that point, the tower had stopped twinkling, but it was still just as beautiful. They finished their glasses, clinked them together one more time, and headed downstairs to a restaurant, where their date with each other began.
A block away from the Eiffel Tower, they dined together, laughing over wine, a good french onion soup, and the City of Lights at their fingertips. Here, you can be in love with things, people, and the way your reflection looks in the windows of the boutique shops. As long as the Eiffel Tower is there, there will always be enough love to go around.
If anyone ever tells you that the Eiffel Tower is not as cracked up as it is to be, they’re wrong. It’s everything.
