It might surprise some of you that this armchair tourist has actually done a bit of traveling, and, in fact, has been to the top of the Eiffel Tower. In a thunderstorm. When the power went out. In spite of, or perhaps because of that, I quite enjoyed Eiffel's Tower: And the World's Fair Where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, the Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison Became a Count, by Jill Jonnes. Starting with the trials and tribulations of building the tower, to the thrill of the exhibition itself, it caught the excitement of the times. The French thought corn was only for pigs, until, at the Wild West Show, they were introduced to popcorn balls! There was a Shah who was afraid to go up to the top (he later did so). Louis Pasteur was there, as were Gauguin and the Van Gogh brothers. Rose Bonheur (who was granted a 'cross dressing' permit from the French government allowing her to wear pants so she could access pastures, barns, etc. to paint the animals she loved) spent a lot of time sketching the Indians. Those same Indians were intrigued with the Highland Games ... all those Scotsmen in their kilts, playing the pipes and hurling the caber! What came as a surprise to me, was the discussion after the Exposition Universelle closed ... would the Tower be taken down? It was a serious question!

Then, for fun, I read Tricky Vic: the Impossible True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower, by Greg Pizzoli. (Made me think of those stories of con men selling the Brooklyn Bridge)! Always a con man (he had a box that printed out perfect 100 dollar bills), he wanted one big job that would bring in a lot of money. An article about the Eiffel Tower needing repair gave him the idea: he gathered five scrap metal dealers together for a private (and secret) meeting where he said that the Tower was to be pulled down, and one of them, the one with the best bid, would get the job. A great read, with very interesting illustrations (also by Pizzoli).

This book was a hoot! And not just because it was written by a bird! Architecture According to Pigeons, by Speck Lee Tailfeather is a world tour of the buildings and bridges pigeons love. (I chuckled at the names they gave to them)! There's a nice, detailed picture of each, as well as information about who built them and when.

For a mystery read Murder on the Eiffel Tower, by Claude Izner (February 4, 2015 post), and for a movie, watch Lavender Hill Mob (with Alec Guiness). There is an amazing chase scene that doesn't even involve a cars!

Reading Hermit With Dog