I mentioned previously that 40 years ago, I was on a month long trip through Europe with my school. 

Forty years ago tonight we just happened to be in Paris.  And July 14th is Bastille Day.  We were in France's capital during their independence celebrations. 

Allow me to say first, I do not like fireworks.  As a child the loud bangs scared the crap outta me.  I still don't like loud bangs, I don't mind fireworks, but I don't like them still.  I can only think of twice when I actually went to see them here.  And I am deathly afraid of heights, always have been. 

At any rate, I don't remember of whole lot other than the group of us and our chaperones went to the Eiffel Tower to watch the celebrations.  The place was freaking packed, as is to be expected.  And I have no idea how, but we decided to go up INTO the Tower.  So off we went.  

The elevator stopped at the first platform.  It's 187 feet high (I just looked it up).  That's as far as I could go.  So I, a chaperone and one of the girls got off there.  The others went higher (some of them wanted to go to the top level, but that was already full and no more were allowed up, I later found out.  So they only made it to the middle platform). 

So, 40 years ago, I was 187 feet in the air, packed in crowd or people and watched the fireworks....loud bangs and all. 

Totally uncharacteristic of me.   Still surprised I did it. 

Afterwards, we didn't even try to find the others, the three of us made our way to the subway and back to the hotel.  And my GOD was that packed!  I've been on the DC Metro after a football game, it was crazy packed then.  It was even worse so in Paris in 1984.  Awkward and uncomfortable.  

But at least I got quite a memory out of it all. 

POLT