A Glimpse at The Eiffel Tower

Travel Article #1

BY LUCY BERRY | PUBLISHED September 10, 2021

The Eiffel Tower, a French Monument, is the brainchild of Gustave Eiffel. Most importantly, it is a creator’s dream location. A place where you can see an entire city’s landscape from the top floor. I have had Paris, specifically the Eiffel Tower, at the top of my bucket list for over ten years. Finally, at the age of twenty-six, I am experiencing my first guided tour, which I highly recommend taking part in. Let’s explore!

Gustave’s Eiffel Tower design was almost denied when he entered his proposal into the 1889 Exposition Universelle (an event celebrating the one-hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution). On March 31, 1889, after two years, two months, and five days, workers completed the most famous landmark in Paris, France, once and for all. After one hundred 121 thirty-two years, the tower is the heart of Paris, a wonder of the world, and my favorite place.

First Floor

The first floor with an illuminating glass floor was complete on April 1, 1888, creating a clear, steady platform that allows visitors to see the ground below them. I’ll admit, I was a bit scared at first. I dipped my toe on the glass as my friends, and I stepped off the elevator, carefully poking at it. The view was worth my twenty seconds of fear. What seemed like millions of tourists walked below us while they looked like ants to us.

Second Floor and Seine River

One of the best views came when our group reached the second-floor railing. We could see the Seine River and so many French monuments such as the Louvre, Montmartre, Invalides, and Notre-Dame. As we stood there, our tour guide told us that the Seine River divides the city into two banks: the art side and the business side.

The Left Bank holds everything an artist could dream of, including Paris’s early-era artists, writers, and philosophers, while the Right Bank contains all the city’s rising businesses. As I gazed out at the magical cityscape, a question piqued at the back of my mind, urging me to find out where exactly one distinct location was along the Seine River.

“Is The Wall of Love on the Left Bank?” I asked my tour guide. “I assume so, but I am not sure.”

“That’s a great question,” she said. “The Montmartre, known for The Wall of Love, is on the Left Bank and a pinnacle location for love in the neighborhood. The neighborhood itself is vibrant with art history and whimsical charm, even before the Revolution, a hub for so many artists.”

A legit guided tour is worth the time and money. Take a leap of faith and join the adventure to the Eiffel Tower’s summit.

Summit

There are two unique ways to reach the summit: over a thousand steps or the lift. Step by step, visitors climb 1,665 steps and 343 meters to the Eiffel Tower’s summit, the final part of the greatest Parisian achievement. The alternative way to the top is to travel through the heart of the tower by boarding the lift. Either way, visitors have an insider look at the beautiful craftsmanship from another time period. Some fascinating aspects of the summit: the top floor is home to Gustave Eiffel’s office, panoramic maps, the 1889 summit model, and a champagne bar. After the two-and-a-half-hour tour, head over to the champagne bar and enjoy the view. Grab your friends, a glass, and stand at the railing on the summit. Drinking with your friends while on the Eiffel Tower is an experience that can’t be missed. Take your time, explore, and enjoy everything this French monument has to offer.

Note: Once you are in the Eiffel Tower, your ticket is one-entry only. No re-entry for the same day.

Novel News

Hello, Lovely Lucy Readers,

It has been a while! I apologize for the delay in blogging. Emily, here! Creator of Lucy Berry Lee, and Author of “Will You Love Me Again?” I am excited to share that Lucy’s blogs are now in print in my debut novel, published on March 9, 2020!

Grab your copy NOW:

I hope you stick with Lucy as I continue to write her story in the sequel, “Where Will We Go?” Future travel blogs coming to Lovely Lucy!

Lucy’s first assignment for Getaway Travel Magazine sends her packing to Paris where she will explore four major places the French city has to offer along with her best friends. Michael is a writer, publishing horror short stories and poems. Jenny teaches college courses and is looking to take a much-needed trip to explore what she is most passionate about – history and adventure.

Stay tuned to my Twitter and Author Page for updates and insights to the next installment!

With All My Love,

Emily Craig

Space Adventurer

(12/12) Creativity Zone Blog Series: An Astronaut for a day.

What would it be like to ﬂoat up there in space; being inches away from the stars that I look up at every night? A galaxy basically untouched by mankind. A vast existence of stars and planets as far as the eye can see through an astronaut’s glass helmet face cover.

As I was thinking about how to write this post, all the space knowledge I have from movies and school came ﬂooding back to me. Instantly I remember how incredible a journey to the moon would be as our astronauts took their ﬁrst steps on the moon in July 1969.

While I was in college, I actually dove into that very day by writing a poem about their journey to and from the moon. I want to rework that poem for you and take you back to July 1969 when you either saw the space shuttle launch or you were taught it in school.

“Hit to The Moon”

An astronaut legacy made –
a trip to teach generations to come
about space travel and the stars above.
Apollo 11 ascends
leaving a trail of white smoke –
a 363-foot ghost.
“The Eagle has landed” –
Mission Control. Do you read? Mission Control.
One boot on the moon,
One change for the world below:
“One small step for man,
One giant leap for mankind.”
Blue, red, 50 stars –
waving to say,
“We made it to the moon.”

One Second

(11/12) Creativity Zone Blog Series: Happen in a second.

A mood change. A smile. An agreement. A kiss. A happy ending.

What do all of those have in common? They can happen in a second. What’s cool about them is any of them can cause that mood change – a chain reaction. Anything is possible. Here’s a poem to show you just how a second can change your mood.

“Peaceful Existence”

Flowers blooming outside my window,
inhale deeply –
springtime air.
Bees buzzing in the sky –
a million events happening around me.
He wraps his arms around me
bringing me into him –
ah.
The sweet embrace of safety
right here in his arms –
a smile spreads across my lips
and I sink into him.

Coincidence or Second Chance?

(10/12) Creativity Zone Blog Series: Put two people who hate each other in an elevator for 12 hours. What happens?

“No, No! Open!” CeCe presses the elevator door button over and over with rage.

“It isn’t going to open, we’re stuck.” Jack rolls his eyes at her.

“No, we aren’t. We can’t be!”

“Yet, we are. It isn’t moving, CeCe. Just push the emergency button and call for help.”

“Fine, I will.” She pushes the emergency button. “We need help. The elevator is stuck between floors 2 and 3.” CeCe and Jack somehow both ended up at the same Holiday Inn Express over the July 4th weekend. CeCe turns to Jack, “I can’t be stuck in here with you!”

“CeCe, we’ve been over for a year, I’m sure we can stand each other until they get us out of here.” He smirks, testing her. Getting under her skin.

“Stand each other? Wow, that’s rich, Jack! We broke up and stopped speaking for a reason!”

“And what reason is that? Uh? Did I make you that miserable?” His Adam’s Apple moves up and down and his forehead creases.

“Yes, you did! That’s the reason. We butted heads too much. I never felt like I could voice my opinion to you!” CeCe clasp and unclasp her hands.

“I tried to listen to you. You’re the one that decided to stop talking to me and clear your head. You’re the one that came back with, let’s break up.”

“And you agreed. You didn’t try to persuade me! You didn’t try to change my mind!” A tear rolls down her cheek and she wipes it away.

“CeCe, once your mind is made up, there’s no changing it. I wouldn’t have had a chance.”

“You could have at least tried, Jack!”

“What would have changed?”

“We could have worked through our problems; we could have stayed together. Something. Anything better than this.”

“Better than not speaking, and then running into each other and not being able to be normal people, yeah that would be great. But, that isn’t how it played out!”

“Did you even love me?”

“Yes, of course! I wanted to stay with you. But I wasn’t about to force you.” He shrugs. Without thinking, CeCe crosses the elevator to Jack, instead of speaking. She is standing inches from Jack, staring at him. “Well hello to you, too.” He nervously says.

“Hi.” She squeaks out. After a few silence beats, she builds up her courage and grabs Jack’s face. She presses her lips to his and suddenly she feels him kiss her back. His hands pull her waist closer to him.

“I think they’re fine, guys.” The workers laugh as CeCe and Jack break apart, looking embarrassed.

Movie Magic

(9/12) Creativity Zone Blog Series: Your favorite moment in film.

My favorite pass time is watching movies with anyone who will sit through two or more hours laughing or crying with me. Yes, I will even have movie marathons by myself. I love watching movie after movie, letting my brain relax from thinking about life problems or even writing. I love immersing myself into another world for a few hours. Wondering where the characters will go next or how they will handle the upcoming storylines.

I love how a lot can happen in a span of a few hours, and whole life stories can be shared on screen. Those stories are still told with care and make a difference in peoples’ lives. They are also not rushed at all but played out in good time. The timelines of these movies move fast but not too fast. Do you know what I mean? They don’t rush the viewers to understand, but still, we all get what is going on.

“One Night, One Kiss”

A twirl of a dress
an outstretched hand
she’s waiting for him to catch her.
she’s showing off to her crush,
but he doesn’t know.

He holds a secret crush for her as well.
they flirt and laugh together.
he’s the guy that gets her
like no other guy does.
Makes her double over laughing
with little effort
and comforts her with ease.
He’s her prince.

She’s waiting for him
to give her a sign
but she’s struggling to hold it in.
She stops spinning and he catches her.

When they are face to face
she puts it all on the line.
one kiss to seal the deal.

Writer Monologue

(8/12) Creativity Blog Series: Write the interior monologue you experience when you sit down to write

As I look at this writing prompt, I smile because my thoughts are always racing when I sit down to write. Yet, writing it down is always so hard because I can think it but putting it into sentences and paragraphs is difﬁcult. I think every writer goes through this, so I want to share that with my readers. Instead of a story, I want to create a poem that mirrors my writer’s mind.

“What’s in a Sentence?”

What’s a sentence, the voice says to me.

It’s nothing but a string of words, I think.

Oh, but it is so much more.

How much more?

It tells a writer’s thoughts and emotions,

shares them with the world.

It shares the inner deepest feelings in one single form for others to read.

So, you are telling me –

my thoughts in my mind

can express what I feel to others.

Yes, that is what I am telling you, dear.

I can help people with my words.

Yes, my dear.

Different Turns, What Could Happen?

(7/12) Creativity Zone Blog Series: What could have happened to you in high school that could have altered the course of your life?

With my ﬁve-year high school reunion coming shortly, I often ﬁnd myself asking this very question. One different turn could have altered my life from that point on, and I wonder about it sometimes. Every time that question comes to my mind, I think of how different freshman year until now would have been altered had David never said hi to me in English that year.

But ﬁrst, let me back up and tell you how we met.

It was David’s ﬁrst day at River Fork High School, Aaron showed him around the school – classrooms, library, restrooms, and lunchroom. Fast forward to the seventh period of that day, my English class, and a new boy walked into the room.

As David and me talk about this story, he reminds me how we had seen each other previously in the day, and Aaron thinks it is so funny that we ended up liking each other. As if it was meant to be.

Back to seventh period, our teacher, Mrs. Susan, brings David back to the front of the class once we are all seated. She says to us, “Class, we have a new student with us today from Nashville, Tennessee. Everyone give a warm welcome to David Lee.”

The class said, “Welcome to River Fork.”

Anyway, back to how we met, he came back to the seat he had picked but hadn’t really looked around. And this is how David tells it, “When I came back to my seat, a girl to the right of my desk catches my eyes. Her smile bright, eyes sparkling, and her brunette hair ﬂowed around her shoulders. When I sat down, she leaned over and whispered, ‘I hope you like the school and the small-town life. If you need anything, just ask.’ I whispered back, ‘I will, thanks. But you didn’t tell me your name.’ She giggled and whispered, ‘It’s Lucy.’
That was the very ﬁrst time I spoke to David, and if that hadn’t happened, I know my high school memories would be different. Since that ﬁrst day in English, we talked and he hung out with Aaron, Jenny, and I after school.

If that conversation would have never happened, I think that it would still be just the three of us. I know at the time I wasn’t in the market to make more friends, David just kind of happened. I wanted to be helpful and it turned into a friendship then to dating and now into an adventure of a lifetime as a married couple. I didn’t have a crush at the time; I don’t remember noticing any guys other than David. Once I met David, everything fell into place.

I think had we not met, I would have focused more on me and my writing career. I would still be best friends with Aaron and Jenny, and after high school, I would have attended The University of North Alabama. I believe that I wasn’t focused on making more friends, but David just kind of happened. Once he happened, I fell and no other guy mattered. I am still living out my dream to be a writer, although it is just this blog, it is better than nothing. I get to do it while being in love and doing life with my best friend.

When I Think Of You

(6/12) Creativity Zone Blog Series: Describe your favorite part of a man’s body using only verbs.

I’ll admit this prompt didn’t come easily to me and I started doing a little research on how other writers describe eyes. Honestly, how do you describe someone’s eyes using only verbs? Those aren’t my strong suit, I am better with adjectives. But, I am challenging myself with these writing prompts for this blog series, that I wouldn’t normally attempt otherwise.

Finally after searching Google for fifteen minutes, I stumbled upon a site called ‘Words to Use,’ where I can choose to look at a list of verbs for eyes: gaze, glance, raked, searched, watched, scanned, affix, flutter, notice, marvel, express, witness, scowl, twinkle, survey, recognize, seek.

_______________

His eyes twinkle and sparkle as they gaze into the distance or when he catches me peeking at him. He says, “Why are you watching me?”

I say, “I was just marveling at the beautiful man that is the love of my life,” I shrug.

He recognizes the matching sparkle in my eyes as he scans my face for how I feel about him checking me out. I love it, but I don’t tell him that.

Instead, I let my eyes express my love for him as I stare into his for so long that my eyes blink like crazy.

His eyes tell me that he is fluttering with love for me, and that’s all the assure I need.

Me, Myself, and I

(5/12) Creativity Zone Blog Series: Describe yourself in third-person – your physical appearance and personality – as though you are a character in a book.

A Short Story

Lucy Berry Lee pushes a strain of her long brunette curls behind her ear. Her husband, David sits beside her on the park bench as they stare at the duck pond. She spots some ducks swimming close to the edge and how they look like a little community.

Her oval face is shaded by the tree and her bangs hide her forehead as the wind threatens to reveal it. Pulling at the bottom of her pink t-shirt, David grabs her hand and rubs his thumb across hers. As she turns to smile at him, her earrings catch the sun and cast a beautiful glow on her face.

As they stare at the ducks, Lucy drifts back to when they were just teenagers. How nervous she was to spend time alone with David. Look at them now, enjoying the sunny day. She thinks about how silly she was whenever he came around. Giggling and trying to crack jokes even though she was bad at it. But, that didn’t matter because David would still laugh with her.

Now as Husband and Wife, she sits here and focuses her hazel eyes on the man she married. The same one she met freshman year of high school. After all this time, she sits relaxed because he is her safe place to land. No matter what they are doing she knows she can be her silly self around him and he will still be like, “that’s my wife!”