the view

atop the arc was where i found my most favourite view of the city. the climb was worth it, although at the time i wouldn't have thought so. 242 (or something, should have brought kim with me she would have counted them) stairs later we, laurel and the auzzie girl, arrive at the top which turns out to be a bit of a museum which turns out to not be as much open as it was closed for updates ... which all turned out not to be the top at all and was just a resting spot for the final ten or twenty stairs.

atop the arc was where i found my most favourite view of the city. yes, that does bear repeating. the viewing deck (if that's what it's called which it may or may not be i don't pretend to know what i am talking about) allows for climbers to enjoy a panoramic view of the city, in my case was the night skyline, with all the lights and cars and sparkling towers of effiel and glowing notre's of dame and the people moving around down below and cars jockeying for position in the chaotic roundabout that surrounds the arc's base. *note* there are no cross walks by which to get to the arc, one must follow the underground path that ducks below the chaotic roundabout laurel took a video of a traffic jam and if i can convince her to post it to the web i'll link it here (btw ... did you watch that other video linked here a little while ago! funny stuff. thanks dan!).

i have a love of taking panoramic shots of skylines and upon seeing my most favourite view of the city i knew i had to get one here. so after i felt comfortable there was no guard around i climbed atop the rail that surrounded a viewing platform in the middle of the deck ... no where near the edge, not to worry mom. i turned from my left to right, composing shots and working the shutter over time and just as i got the last of the shots i heard the sound i had expected to here before my photo shoot: something yelled to me in french by someone who was an obvious authority figure. i climbed down, apologized in english and found my fellow climbers. they had found the traffic jam that would eventually become a video that will hopefully be posted for you to see.

... and after all that, the photo's didn't turn out. it was too dark. as much of a professional i felt i was balanced atop the view platform rail, i really wasn't and that is that.