Mur de la Paix, Wall of Peace

At the far end of the lush green grass in the shadows of le Tour Eiffel sits a glass wall that is known as the Mur de la Paix, the Wall of Peace.  Built in 2000, and very new in the grand scheme of Parisian monuments, the glass walls are covered with Peacewritten in 32 languages and 13 alphabets and inspired by the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.  Much like the grand iron lady at the other end of the Champ de Mars the Mur de la Paix was to be a temporary instillation, 17 years later it is still there.

The Champ de Mars is named after the Mars, the God of War and Champs means field, so a Wall of Peace sitting at the end of the vast space crowned with the most famous monument in the world is pretty iconic.  But the days of the wall may be numbered, in the spring it was fenced off and in disrepair. So you should plan a trip soon to see it before it is gone. The perspective looking back at le Tour Eiffel is breathtaking.

The moment that changes your life

I can track down to the minute that everything I knew in life changed in one blissful moment, and why this spot in the Jardin des Tuileries is one of the most romantic in Paris. Not only can you see some of her most amazing monuments in one perfect glance but if you are lucky, the sun will be setting on a perfect September night. September 7, 2016 at 20:30pm, standing in this very spot, happy laughter and French chatter all around me while friends drank wine in front of the fountain of the Tuileries, the sun had set and cast the most amazing pink glow across the sky. It was the first cloudless sunset I saw in Paris and the first that would fall behind le Tour Eiffel. In this very moment every single thing in life clicked into place like a puzzle and I fell madly in love with Paris and I found a feeling of home you can't explain to somebody until they have had the same experience. 

La Tour Eiffel

You might think that the  iconic Iron Lace Lady that stands tall over Paris that I have loved since the first time I saw her in a picture my grandpa showed me would be my favorite romantic spot in Paris. Oh it's up there as one of the top spots for so many reasons and even more that I discovered the many times I was standing in front of her and looking up.  But La Tour Eiffel has not always been loved by the city of Paris, but now you can't imagine the skyline without her and most Parisians are pretty proud to call her their own.  

Her beauty can be seen from all points of Paris, but she will disappear behind buildings and around corners to only pop right back up as a reminder that she is always close. Driving through Paris one night, not knowing the street I was on to just turn a corner and there she is, sparkling like a diamond as if to appear out of nowhere. On the hour from dusk until 1am for 5 amazing minutes, and best viewed from across the river Seine at the Jardins du Trocadéro so you can see her in all glory. 

She was built for the 1889 World's Fair and the centennial of the French Revolution. When Gustave Eiffel built what would become the greatest of Paris icons it was only to stand for 20 years. It was then used as a radio tour that helped save Paris in WWI, and then the French fell in love with her too. Couldn't imagine Paris without her and her delicate lace arches that is the epitome of style, grace and strength.  She will always be my first love when it comes to Paris and will never forget racing through the city to see her sparkle on a crisp Paris night.