For a tourist who has decided to add Paris as one of the great cities in the world worth seeing, Arc de Triomphe is definitely the second thing to see after one’s curiosities about the Eiffel Tower had been settled. On my situation however, the Eiffel Tower posed so much of a challenge that joining the long queue to climb it didn’t cross my mind. As I often shy away from crowds of people, the Arc de Triomphe proved to be the kind of attraction that suited my limited patience which fortunately allowed me to see the Eiffel Tower from afar.
The sad twist to my experience was that even the Arc de Triomphe has a challenge it exacts from its visitors and before I realize I had fallen victim to the rigors of its 284 steps. This was how I made it to the viewing deck at the top and collect my prize by taking all the shots I could make with the remaining strength to raise my camera after losing most of it in the long climb.