Tag Archives: height

Things To See: The Eiffel Tower | Travel

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I have to start this piece by saying that the Eiffel Tower has a special place in my heart, as just over a year ago my fiancé whisked me away to Paris and proposed to me. After his proposal we went to the Eiffel Tower. Before I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time I always thought it would be long and thin. In fact, the Eiffel Tower is huge, both in height and girth. It is so vast and impressive that it is impossible to not feel just a little insignificant in it’s shadow. It is easy to see why the Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous attractions in the world, and is seen in countless movies and television shows.

Paris

Even more shocking and surprising is that this genius of architecture and human ability is now 125 years old. How they had the technology and ability to do this 125 years ago always makes me wondrously impressed. It took 300 workers, 18,038 pieces of wrought iron, 2.5 million rivets, 10,000 tons, 984.25 feet high and two years, two months, and five days of construction to complete. Not bad at all.

The Eiffel Tower

Photo credit: Catherine Balavage

 

The Eiffel Tower is a must see, especially if you live in Europe as it is so easy to get to Paris. Especially on the Eurostar. And there are many amazing and reasonable priced hotels near the Eiffel Tower which can be found through Hotel Direct After getting over my general awe of just how huge both the base of the tower, and the height was, we went all of the way to the top. I even went out into the balcony at the very top. It was a little scary but I did not want to pass up the opportunity. The view of Paris from the top is absolutely amazing and it is quite an adrenaline rush.

In it’s 125-year history more than 250 million people have visited the Eiffel Tower, making it the most-visited paid monument in the world. Here are some more facts:

The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Photo credit: Catherine Balavage

The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Photo credit: Catherine Balavage

The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Photo credit: Catherine Balavage

The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Photo credit: Catherine Balavage

The Eiffel Tower is more than one colour. It is darker at the top and lighter at the bottom to counteract atmospheric perspective. It is also painted every seven years to protect the tower from rust. Fifty to sixty tons of paint is needed to paint the entire tower.

The Eiffel Tower was meant to be taken down after twenty years. In the end the French military and the French government used it for radio, and later tele, communications. When the towers permit expired in 1909, the City of Paris renewed it indefinitely.

The people of Paris originally hated the Eiffel Tower. Parisians thought it was an eyesore and newspapers received angry letters saying it didn’t fit into the feel of the city. Apparently, novelist Guy de Maupassant hated the tower but ate at its restaurant everyday. When people asked him why he said it was because it was the only place in Paris where he couldn’t see it.

eiffeltowercatherinebalavage

The Eiffel Tower changes height. Because it is made with wrought iron the metal expands when exposed to heat. This increases the towers height by 6.75 inches.

The Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world until 1930 when New York City’s Chrysler Building rose up to 1,046 feet 

Apparently, the Eiffel Tower wasn’t the brainchild of Gustav Eiffel.  It was his senior engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier who designed the tower. Gustav Eiffel sent the engineers to the head of the company’s architectural department, Stephen Sauvestre. After Sauvestre’s edits, Eiffel finally got behind the plans and he also bought the right to the patent.

The Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris, France

Read our Paris In Instagram Pictures pieces for more great things to do in Paris.

 

These Shoes Aren’t Made For Walking: Why Are Shoes Made For Women So Painful?

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“That bone”, my doctor says, “That bone is just not supposed to be there.” “Oh”, I reply. This really cannot be good. I ask for clarification just to be sure, hoping that somehow I am hearing wrong, or it isn’t as bad as it sounds. “Do you mean the bone has moved from one part of my foot to the other?” “Yes” he replies. “If it gets worse we will have to operate.” I only have one more thought: f**k!

So it turns out that the shoes I have been wearing are too high, too small and too tight. In a way I know this is all my fault. I always go out shopping for sensible shoes that I can walk in but also look good. Yes every time I come back with a pair of shoes that can only be worn for a few hours at most. Some of them are more ornament than shoe.

It’s not a height thing. One of my biggest problems with fashion magazines are when women who are 5.5 complain about being short, saying they need heels for extra height. The average woman is 5.3. So if 5.3 is average, not short, then the fashion ideal of a woman being 5.10 is not only unrealistic, it is also taller than the average male of 5.9. In fact, the majority of women in the entire world are under 5.6. I am 5.5 and don’t need 4 inch heels to feel tall. I believe height is another thing that the media uses to make women feel bad about themselves, oh, and so they then buy 4 inch heels that are expensive and cripple their feet.

The faithful Clarks shoes. By the end of the day they hurt but they score points for being walkable, long-lasting and relatively comfortable.

The faithful Clarks shoes. By the end of the day they hurt but they score points for being wearable, long-lasting and relatively comfortable.

Upon hearing the news my fiance bans me from wearing heels but shortly relents under my withering look. I still love heels, some outfits need them and I want to, at least occasionally, party in heels. I promise to only wear them occasionally. The only problem is that I had no flat shoes apart from one pair of ballet shoes that were very tight at the front and were just too flat. I have a high arch and I need some support.

I decide to go shopping and my first purchase is a pair of Timbaland trainers. They cost £89 but I manage to get them for £55 at a Glamour Magazine shopping party. Bargain and they are very comfortable.

They are strictly daywear though, and cannot be worn to smart functions. So I still have the same problem. I buy some ankle boots from ASOS but they have some kind of default and cut into my leg, making it bleed, and also ruin some of my expensive tights. I end up mostly wearing a pair of Clarks ankle boot which I bought in 2008. They have a heel of a few inches and have only need resoled once. Score points for Clarks.

I keep looking for perfect shoes that are not too high or too tight. I just want gorgeous, wearable shoes but it just seems that womens shoes aren’t made for walking. Flat shoes hurt my feet and my shins, high heels hurt just as much. Every shoe I try on does not seem to have the wearer in mind. They are too fancy or the straps are badly placed. The heels are too skinny, the front too pointy and so obviously not made for toes. It is like some kind of Chinese foot binding. Mens shoes look good and are comfortable. Do you really think they would put up with this crap?

The limited edition Converse. Comfortable and fashionable.

The limited edition Converse. Comfortable and fashionable.

In the end I just relent and buy another pair of Converse. I had worn my last pair to death and had not replaced them. Instead of the ubiquitous black I buy a limited edition pair. As for a pair of actual comfortable shoes? My quest continues….

A Nation Of Pinocchio Daters?

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Brits are lying their way through the virtual world of

online dating to find a partner

 

·       Almost two thirds (57%) of online daters lie on their profiles

·       Almost half of Brits (47%) tell porkies about their body shape in their profiles

·       Nearly a third (28%) of us use profile pictures that are three years old or more

·       17% of supposed singletons on dating websites are actually in relationships

·       Nearly 1 in 4 (24%) lie about their profession and seniority at work to impress potential partners

·       13% of online daters don’t write their own profiles

·       For 64% of people, their biggest concern is that the actual dating sites themselves lie – using fake profiles,good looking people who aren’t actually signed up to the site.

 

Research today reveals that almost two thirds (57%) of online daters lie in their quest to find a partner. Commissioned by new dating website Would Like To Meet, the report reveals that a quarter (25%) of Brits lie at least four times on their dating profiles and nearly a third (28%) of us use profile pictures that are three years old or more. Even more alarming is that almost one in ten (9%) use profile pictures which are at least ten years out of date, with men being the worst culprits.

 

Mirror Mirror…

 

Even though pictures say a thousand words, over a fifth (21%) of Brits also lie about their age to go alongside their youthful photos, with men being twice as likely to subtract a few years.

 

When it comes to size, our computer screens really do shed a few pounds with almost half (47%) of Brits revealing that they lie about their dress size on their profile. Women are the biggest culprits with 10% also treating themselves to a virtual breast job by exaggerating the size of their bust by two cup sizes. Men take a different tact and prefer to add a few inches with a third (32%) lying about their height.

 

I Am A Millionaire…sort of….

 

It isn’t just physical attributes that Brits lie about; we also bend the truth when it comes to their professional status. Nearly 1 in 4 (24%) admit to lying about their job and seniority at work to impress potential partners. Surprising given the current economic climate, almost a quarter (24%) of online daters say they work in finance when they don’t.  The second most popular wish-list profession is in TV and music (18%), followed closely by a respectable career in law (17%).  Nearly 10% of us also give ourselves an imaginary PA in the hope of impressing the opposite sex. But why do so many online daters succumb to lying when there is such a high risk of getting caught out in the end?

 

 “Many people regard online dating as if it were a fishing expedition, and they want to cast their line into the pool with the best ‘bait’”explains psychologist Donna Dawson.“The bait is the qualities that they think will attract best potential partners – and if this means adding inches to their height, reducing a dress size, or pretending to be more senior at work, then they will do just that.Their hope is to make such a strong impression on the first meeting that any lies, will be overlooked. The trouble is that they rarely succeed, as the very first, ‘first impression’ will reveal them to be dishonest.”

 

Donna also suggests that the 13% of online daters who don’t write their own profiles, should start – or at least think carefully before choosing their ghost writer.

 

 

Marital Status Unknown

 

Although you’d imagine that all members on dating sites are single, an outstanding 17% of supposed singletons are actually in relationships. Furthermore, nearly a quarter (25%) lie about their marital status to cover up being separated or divorced – a habit which men are 10% more likely to adopt.

 

With all this lying at the touch of a keypad, the study reveals that rightly so, we are a nation of suspicious minds with over a quarter of online daters (26%) having suspected that a potential suitor was actually married or in a relationship.

 

 

You Only Want Me For My Money

 

Beyond the world of white lies – nearly two fifths (39%) of online daters have also been subjected to a financial scam or know someone who has. These scams are often carried out by other ‘members’ who trick fellow daters into giving them or ‘lending’ them money that they will never see again.

 

Although meeting Pinnochio partners is a worry, our biggest concern (for 64% of people) is that the actual dating sites themselves lie – using fake profiles, good looking people who aren’t actually signed up to the site, to boost numbers and entice people in.

 

“From experience, it is clear that honesty and belief is the most important ingredient when it comes to online dating and this research confirms that most people feel the same,” says founder of Would Like To Meet, Eden Blackman. “With this in mind, I wanted to create a site without fake profiles, only real verified pictures allowed where members know the people they see are the people behind the profile. I have always worked on the ethic that if you hide behind a fake profile picture what else are you hiding.”