The old lady has a new dress (yes, again!)
Saturday, November 14, 2009 Posted by Eric Tenin
In case you haven't heard - but I know you did -, the Eiffel Tower is 120 years old. To celebrate, they installed a new set of lights on the side facing the Trocadero and every night from 8 pm to 11 Pm they "play" with them for 12 minutes. When I say "they" I mean the computer, as, of course, all these lights - which happen to be low consumption Leds - are computer controlled. I passed by ET 2 days ago on my way back from my father's and I took this. If you want to see moving images of it, click here.
November 14, 2009 12:41:00 AM GMT+01:00
All together now -
EIFFEL TOWER!
EIFFEL TOWER!!
EIFFEL TOWER!!!
November 14, 2009 12:42:00 AM GMT+01:00
LOOOOOOOOOOOL
November 14, 2009 12:44:00 AM GMT+01:00
You've really been spoiling the ET lovers lately! Thanks.
November 14, 2009 1:04:00 AM GMT+01:00
Any detail is such a big feast!!!
I can say I feel myself spoiled when I see that. I can say it! That's beautiful. Thank you Eric.
Btw, how is your father? Hope he is fine :)
November 14, 2009 1:11:00 AM GMT+01:00
When is the 12 minutes they play with it? Is it on the hour like usual? I need to get out and see this tonight!
Thanks for the photo.
November 14, 2009 1:13:00 AM GMT+01:00
Simply georgeous. Thank you for this and the link to the light show. It's brightened up a long boring day.
November 14, 2009 1:13:00 AM GMT+01:00
OK, I posted before I read the other site. Looks like it is every hour...which means I should probably watch it at least twice tonight.
November 14, 2009 1:19:00 AM GMT+01:00
Pictures of ET make me homesick. I've never been homesick before, not in 40 some years.
Love the designs and that the Grand Old Lady still has a lot of life in her.
November 14, 2009 1:34:00 AM GMT+01:00
Ooooooooooooooo, that's a really good one!! :) Nice! Bet it'd look really nice on my laptop ;)
November 14, 2009 1:45:00 AM GMT+01:00
I like your picture Eric. But I have to say that I have mixed feelings about the new lights. I watched the moving lights video and all I thought of was Las Vegas. Not sure that I like that. I don't want to grow up and I don't want Paris to change.
November 14, 2009 2:32:00 AM GMT+01:00
Absolutely stunning! A nice send off to a weekend full of good times ahead.
November 14, 2009 3:12:00 AM GMT+01:00
She looks great in her new dress. This is the best one yet. Do you think that she has the most expensive wardrobe in the world?
Eiffel Tower Suzy, are you collecting copies of her dresses -- I bet you are.
November 14, 2009 4:13:00 AM GMT+01:00
ET Suzy, how DO you manage to be first on ET days?????
After viewing your video, Eric, I finally had an AH HA moment. I want to live in a city that LOVES itself. Afterall, it cleans itself every day, not once, but twice. It takes care of its history and monuments, and it knows how to have fun with them.
Will the light show be on all year?
November 14, 2009 4:30:00 AM GMT+01:00
Beautiful! Thank you.
November 14, 2009 5:14:00 AM GMT+01:00
Extravagant and wonderful and I love it!
November 14, 2009 5:32:00 AM GMT+01:00
Suzy -- I was just wondering the same thing as our friend phx, though very appropriate that you should be first. Eric -- hope you know how much all of us francophiles (and Suzy wannabees) appreciate that you're out there recording this for us! Thanks so much (and also for the video).
November 14, 2009 6:03:00 AM GMT+01:00
Oooo wonderful! I love it!
November 14, 2009 6:52:00 AM GMT+01:00
Very cool. I wish I could see it in person.
November 14, 2009 7:58:00 AM GMT+01:00
Me too Suzy! Do you and Eric have an "arrangement"? Lovely photo Eric. I like the street lights in this one in particular.
November 14, 2009 8:21:00 AM GMT+01:00
Since the TE is my neighbor, I think I can answer some of the questions. The light show is on the hour, starting at 8pm, after the normal 5 minutes of twinkle lights. The show continues through the end of the year.
Finally, it's my observation that the netting seen in earlier photos is to protect from falling objects while the tower is being repainted. (It's not really in position to catch anyone from falling off of any of the 3 levels.) I expect it will all come down when the painting is complete.
November 14, 2009 9:34:00 AM GMT+01:00
i'm loving it.....and the music is quite jazzy on the video.....thanks for the images for those of us that can't be there, BUT WANT TO!
November 14, 2009 10:08:00 AM GMT+01:00
Thanks for the link to the moving images; fun to watch. Love this Parisian icon.
November 14, 2009 10:21:00 AM GMT+01:00
I think that when we see an ET photo, no one dares to respond before Suzy. Respect!
November 14, 2009 11:38:00 AM GMT+01:00
You have one hip monument there. I loved the video.
November 14, 2009 11:38:00 AM GMT+01:00
I love the details on this picture: Ecole Militaire and Tour Montparnasse in the back, the lightened merry-go-round, and the white light beam right in the axis of the ET...
Once again, great shot, Eric!
ET is really one of my favorite places in Paris. I'm passing by it every morning and evening on my way to/from work, and I always enjoy it...
November 14, 2009 12:04:00 PM GMT+01:00
I'm proud to live in pAris and I love its biggest symbol. I always look and smile at the ET each time I pass by it (almost every day). Even if these lights games may sound a little bit like Las Vegas shows, I'm glad that the City of Paris celebrates, as it has to be, its 120th anniversary. Happy anniversary my beloved ET ;)
November 14, 2009 2:23:00 PM GMT+01:00
Ohhh that girl knows how to dress! Thanks for our much need 'fix' Eric. She's fab in her birthday dress.
V
November 14, 2009 2:30:00 PM GMT+01:00
She really looks so lovely all lit up!
November 14, 2009 2:33:00 PM GMT+01:00
Ooooooohhhhh.
November 14, 2009 3:54:00 PM GMT+01:00
Fab pic. I am coming to Paris on Thurs for a glass or two of Beaujolais and am lucky to be staying in a room with a tower view in Belleville but not sure if it will be the right side for those illuminations. Sure beats Blackpool though.
November 14, 2009 4:38:00 PM GMT+01:00
Absolutely beautiful! She looks lovely lit up. I like the photo with the lights better than the light show. I only wish I were aging as gracefully as she is! Thanks for a great shot! Valorie
November 14, 2009 6:14:00 PM GMT+01:00
Stuart, Merci for all those details.
November 14, 2009 6:20:00 PM GMT+01:00
120 years !! My ... thats a beauty and she is old yet beautiful :)
November 14, 2009 6:51:00 PM GMT+01:00
I'm sure Suzy has an ET radar! If not, how does she manage to be first on ET's days, hu?!
Haven't seen her like that yet. But she looks absolutely pretty...
Petrea, I think I've seen you in an episode of Dexter (season 3), am I wrong?!
November 14, 2009 8:00:00 PM GMT+01:00
What Petrea is in Dexter?! Is that true Petrea. Which episode is that Guille???
Stuart, thanks a million for these details. I was really wondering how it worked.
And yes Suzy: I'm wondergin too. How do you do it?!
November 14, 2009 8:29:00 PM GMT+01:00
Merci for spoiling all the ET lovers...and who wouldn't love this??? Wish I were there...sigh!!
November 14, 2009 10:14:00 PM GMT+01:00
awesome !!!... i love. i was recently at a U2 concert in toronto and the skydome was open and the CN tower was lit up and in time with the music. very cool. i wonder if i could find video of that. there is some on youtube.
thank you~ Laura
November 14, 2009 11:56:00 PM GMT+01:00
Although Eric is trying to fool us, I bet there's only two possible answers for the ET SUZY mistery:
either Eric txt messages her everynight he's going to post an ET pix, or DRUMMOND is right, no one dares commenting first when the iron lady shows up!!!
November 14, 2009 11:57:00 PM GMT+01:00
Eric, does the year now has 24 months? No? So I guess you're gonna have to make 2 versions of your 2010 calendar.... not enough months in a year for all your beautiful pictures.
PHX, I agree with everything you said about the city...
November 16, 2009 1:02:00 PM GMT+01:00
Ah merci ! Je me demandais ce qui lui arrivait quand je la voyais en prenant la ligne de métro aérienne (ligne 6 pour les non parisien(ne)s). Je trouve qu'elle se la joue vachement fashion victim ces temps-ci !
November 16, 2009 2:13:00 PM GMT+01:00
Stunning!! Thanks for sharing that with us Eric!!
November 18, 2009 2:19:00 PM GMT+01:00
Very cool idea. And a fine photo of the tower.