Bon appetit on the Eiffel Tower

by Abha Malpani on

Taking further our kicks of eating things either made by someone famous or with someone famous, now eating on something famous takes a new turn. Friends, friends and friends, you can now dine in new style at 410-feet on the Eiffel Tower.

Called Jules Verne (after the famous French author?), the revamped restaurant on this monument is the brain child of celebrity chef Alain Ducasse that will serve authentically French food (duh!), and will seat up to 120 people. For safety reasons, there will be no gas-cooking and the food will be prepared in a kitchen underneath the Champ de Mar garden which is located at the base of the tower.

With the 6.7 million tourists that visit this monument every year, dine at the restaurant and you will be taken up in a private lift. Meals are priced at $108 for lunch and $216 for dinner, making them totally “accessible to everyone”.

Anyone enticed to go?

Known for his eccentric ideas of taking cuisine to new heights, Ducasse was heard saying “I don’t work, I dream…I illustrate my dreams” — the next one being a restaurant on Mars. Now that’s somewhere I would love to go for a meal.

How you can own a piece of the Eiffel Tower

by Martha Edwards on

Few things emblemize Europe as well as the Eiffel Tower. The iconic structure is visited by, I imagine, hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, if not more. When I look at the Eiffel tower, I see crowds, over-priced souvenirs and the chance to pay a ridiculous price just to be stuffed into an elevator. But I’m a cynic — I’m sure others look at the Eiffel Tower and see the glory of France.

And if you’re one of those people, here’s your chance to own a piece of the Eiffel Tower: French auction house Drouot is auctioning off a section of the original staircase that has since been replaced with the aforementioned elevators. The 15-foot, 1,543-lb structure is expected to fetch about 30,000 euros.

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Paris in….China?

by Justin Glow on

You know, if I were to casually glance at this photo, I’d believe it were actually taken in Paris: The Eiffel Tower….those other buildings. Very Parisian. But look a little closer and you’ll realize that it’s not actually Paris at all. It’s not even Disneyworld. It’s China.

Located in the residential area of Tianducheng just outside of Hangzhou in East China’s Zhejiang Province lies this modest recreation of the Champ de Mars and Gustave’s greatest creation. Just over 2,000 people live here. What’s especially weird is that I can’t find any more information on this save for the photos. You’d think that a fake Paris sprouting up in China would have received some press somewhere. More pics (from Reuters) after the jump.

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France’s Visitors Equal Its Population

by Jamie Rhein on

Here is an interesting fact I came across. The number of people who visit France each year is equal to its population. Each equals 60 million. [source: National Geographic Traveler] Of the visitors, here are some statistics about Paris, the city that is partly responsible for the visitor bounty.:

  • number of people who visit the Eiffel Tower: more than 6 million
  • number of people who visit the Louvre: more than 5 million

In an aim to get more people to come to Paris, July 9 is the first ever Tourism Day in Paris. Visitors will receive a commemorative bracelet and a map to find participating venues.There are also other events of note that coincide. One of them is the Paris Cinema International Film Festival, July 3-14, where over 300 films will be shown. For information about both, check out Parisinfo.com where you can find all you need to know about travel in Paris and travel deals.

Photo of the Day (12/20/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on


Still searching for the perfect stocking stuffer for your loved one? Well, if you’re in Paris for the holidays you might want to check in with this dude selling many mini Eiffel Tower. He seems to have several and no real-takers. Maybe he’s just getting started with his business day. Taken by localsurfer in Paris with some type of Lomo cam (Holga?), I’d say he did a good job capturing the guy’s boredom or lack of interest while on the job.

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