Happy birthday, Eiffel Tower, on your 120th, and many more

You're getting a new coat for your birthday present

Despite the recession which is affecting every country, a large sum of money is available for this birthday present. The cost of 60 tons of paint is no joke, even in French Francs. I considered taking a couple of Personal Loans so I could buy some brushes and help a little, but I have a poor head for heights and the French will not agree to me painting at ground floor level. What if a tourist asked me a question and I answered in English?

The official birthday was April 1. The tower was designed by the engineer Gustave Eiffel and was built for the 1889 universal exhibition in Paris. The 324 foot high tower was initially dismissed as an eyesore by many Parisians but 120 years later remains the official icon of France.

The paint job

This will be the 19th paint job for the landmark, which gets a new coat of lead-free paint every seven years, and as always the color will be "Eiffel Tower Brown" in three shades, with the darkest on the bottom and the lightest at the top. For this particular coat, the paint is coming from Norway and the 25 "mountaineer" painters will be Greeks and Romanians. At the end of the exercise, the icon, which received seven million visitors last year, will remain 100 per cent French.

The birthday party

A host of birthday activities are in store for the 120th anniversary. Paris is staging a special exhibition in May, followed by a fireworks display and night of concerts in July. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Happy birthday, Eiffel Tower, on your 120th, and many more "