Tag: vertigo

An Antidote to Vertigo in Paris

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Ground view of Tour Eiffel. I’m not coming with you Mischa.

Most visitors to the Eiffel Tower spend a lot of time looking down from the top. I prefer the view from the ground looking up.

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For the Daily Post’s weekly photographic theme- Look Up.

Balancing in Pisa

Arriving in Pisa, the tower dominates the skyline
Arriving in Pisa, the tower dominates the skyline

Every time I travel to Europe with someone considerably younger than me, I spend hours waiting for them at the base of a monument as they nimbly scramble up and around parapets, belfries, turrets and vaults. I suffer from extreme vertigo but when it comes to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, this dread goes into overdrive.

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Come down from that building, you insane people.
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Waiting for Mischa, deja vu! Time to read a book.
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Why bother to straighten this photo?

I have chosen some unusual shots of this most ridiculously unbalanced building as my contribution to Ailsa’s travel them this week, Balance, at Where’s My Backpack.

More about this trip to Il Torre Pendente di Pisa  can be found here.

 

Travel Theme: Above Paris.

There was no way we were prepared to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower with Mischa Belle. She appeared heartbroken as we explained our problem of vertigo. Then, out of the blue, we were approached by a lovely South American family, a couple with two teenage children. They had purchased too many tickets on the internet due to an error in the system. Would we like to buy a ticket for the next carriage which would leave in 20 minutes time? We established that they were not scammers and so negotiated a deal: Would they mind escorting 14-year-old Mischa to the top? We would purchase two tickets, but Mr T would exit after the fourth level. They were more than happy with the arrangement.SANYO DIGITAL CAMERA

Mischa not only got to the top to take these photos of Paris from above, but learnt a great deal about Paris from the escorting couple, who had worked there for many years.

Mischa , who is now 17, has just finished her VCE finals in French. I am sure she plans to return. Well done Mischa.

SANYO DIGITAL CAMERAThanks Ailsa for another great travel theme.