Fierce Romance: Eiffel Tower

Last month, I ran a contest to give away a cute Paris tote bag from my recent trip to France.

The question was: who designed the Eiffel Tower?

We had several answers, but the correct one is Stephen Sauvestre.

I’ll reference Wikipedia for the explanation….

>>The design of the Eiffel Tower was originated by Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, two senior engineers who worked for the Compagnie des Etablissements Eiffel, after discussion about a suitable centerpiece for the proposed 1989 World’s Fair... Initially, Gustave Eiffel himself showed little enthusiasm for the design, but he did sanction further study of the project, and the two engineers then asked Stephen Sauvestre, the head of company's architectural department, to contribute to the design. Sauvestre added decorative arches to the base, a glass pavilion to the first level, and other embellishments. This enhanced version gained Eiffel's support and is the structure we see today.<<

So the answer is Stephen Sauvestre. Three people guessed correctly, so I threw their names into a hat and… the winner of the Paris tote bag is… (drum roll) Vickie Dailey! Congratulations!!

Vickie is a customer service rep and lives in Minnesota. I’m sending the tote bag out to her today J

Thanks to everyone for participating!

Jenna

www.jennaives.com

Last month, I spent 10 days in the City of Lights. (Business trip for hubby, pleasure for me.) The weather was typical winter in France -- highs only in the 40’s with rain and wind making most days raw. But that didn’t stop me from getting out and walking the fabulous streets, even though my daily souvenir was a very red nose.

I love Paris. The perfect city for a romance author!

You've heard of the lovers bridges over the Seine river, right? It's such a romantic concept! Hubby and I eagerly bought a padlock, put our initials and the date on it, locked it to the bridge and then threw the key into the river so that our love can't be unlocked and will always endure. Take a look at these other lovers. Amazing, right?...

Our hotel was the George V, right off the Champs Elysée. And this was the amazingly quaint view from our balcony…

And who would miss out on the chance to see these familiar sights?

Eiffel Tower

L'Arc de Triomphe

Notre Dame Cathedral

I.M.Pei's addition to the Louvre museum

The continental breakfast at the hotel was quite pricey, so every couple of days I would run out to the local grocery store (Monoprix) to pick up some fruit, sandwiches for lunch, and a bottle of wine to have before dinner. I felt sooo Parisienne carrying my groceries in their tote bag! (It says “Your life has never been so full/busy/complete.”)

One of the highlights of the trip was an exhibit at the Grand Palais of spectacular Cartier jewelry owned by Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Grace of Monaco, Queen Elizabeth, Wallis Simpson the Duchess of Windsor among other fabulously rich women. Just look at this tower of diamond tiaras!