The Eiffel Tower – a fascinating history

How can a blog about cities and attractions around the world be complete without a plug for the Eiffel tower!

The French fondly say that while Hitler might have conquered France he was never able to conquer the Eiffel tower. The French cut the cables to the lift right before the Nazis took France. In the midst of the war it was impossible to get the parts to repair the lift. Hitler was not going to climb the Eiffel tower so he never 'conquered' it so to speak. He sent some men climbing up it to put the Nazi Swastika up there. The flag was so big and heavy that it blew away. They had to replace it with a small Nazi flag. In the midst of the war a Frenchman braved climbing the tower and placed the French national flag up there. I find stories like this fascinating.

Gustav Eiffel had originally planned to build the Eiffel tower in Barcelona but they turned him down due to their perception of the tower as overly expensive and ugly to boot.

When the tower was first built it was considered an abomination by the French people. It was an eyesore that you could not ignore because it stood out so much from every location in Paris. They thought it was ridiculous that so much money should be spent on something so ugly.

The tower was supposed to be torn down when its permit ran out twenty years after its creation. Fortunately due to its usefulness as a transmission device the city of Paris chose not to do so in spite of strong public dislike of the tower at the time.

The Eiffel towers design was created primarily to resist the wind due to its height. It was the tallest building in the world at the time of its creation. Its creator Gustav Eiffel was an experienced bridge builder so he applied his knowledge from that to the design the Eiffel tower. When I think about it the Eiffel tower has many similarities to the underlying arches of a bridge.

When you are in Paris be sure to check out the Eiffel tower. I am sure you would have done so anyway but now you know a lot of fascinating tidbits of information about the Eiffel tower!

Shanghai - an economic powerhouse

Shanghai in China is one of the largest business capitals in the world. It has a long history as an economic power spanning back to the 1930s. After the communist takeover its place as a major business hub in the world was halted for a time but now it is once again a major economic force in the world.

Shanghai's architecture combines an interesting twist of modern Western architecture with Eastern design and Feng Shui influences.

When travelling on the trains in Shanghai, be sure if possible to travel during their off hours. During rush hour the trains are extremely packed. Taxis are also a good choice for transportation but be sure to use them when there is not too much traffic. Sitting in a notorious Shanghai traffic jam while you are paying good money to have a taxi not move at all is both nerve racking and time consuming. Also make sure the driver turns on the meter. Some taxi drivers will try to swindle you for more money than the trip is worth. Get a printed receipt if possible which you can use if there is a dispute or if you need to hunt up the cab driver later if you left something in the taxi by accident.

Another option, which is fun assuming you like plowing through masses of people is walking. Shanghai is highly overpopulated and this is a popular form of transportation for the locals. Things can get pretty crazy but you can reach many of the places you want to get to by simply walking there. It's always good to experience new things. So if you like walking definitely check this option out.

If you want to experience a taste of something a little different and like to experience an interesting blend of modern Eastern and Western culture then Shanghai is definitely worth checking out!