Lucky me, I spent my 18th birthday on the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I have never liked parties, and my birthday treat was always going out to eat. My choice this time was the restaurant on the Eiffel Tower. We went up to the top first, then to restaurant. I remember sitting at a table near the windows, with a fabulous view of Paris in the dusk and approaching night.
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| View from the restaurant |
Then casually my dad said "You know, this might not have been such a good idea".
"Why not?" my mother asked.
"Look at those rivets. The metal is buckling and the rivets are loose. If there is a high wind, they might not hold! It's possible that the whole thing could come down!"
"Look at those rivets. The metal is buckling and the rivets are loose. If there is a high wind, they might not hold! It's possible that the whole thing could come down!"
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| Restaurant |
I looked out the window and sure enough, you could see rivets that did seem loose. The restaurant was built in such a way that the glass of the restaurant fit inside the metal framework of the tower and the trusses and crossbeams were clearly visible. He kept talking about this during the whole meal. My mother and sister were visibly upset. Personally, I really didn't care, I didn't believe it for a second and I was too concerned about my meal (sole meuniere, my favorite). I even had some wine.
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| Workings of the Tower |
As we were leaving and getting into the elevator, my dad said "Aren't you glad you got to do this? It will probably have fallen down by your next birthday." Then as my sister and mother turned pale, he laughed and said "I guess Fay is the only one who understands the physics of construction. You have to have some give in any solid structure to allow for movement due to heat and cold, wind, etc.".
It was great moment, one when I felt really close to him. I treasured those moments as he rarely showed emotion and disliked any drama or emotional intensity. Like father like daughter I guess.