These are photos of the Eiffel Tower from a location that most tourists don’t see. I took them the day I set out to find the replica of our Statue of Liberty on the Ile des Cygnes in the Seine. And then, because the Eiffel seems soooo close no matter where you are in the city (ha, ha), I decided to walk in that direction—even though it was freezing cold and windy, of course, as it always seems to be next to the Seine. 
I have since learned that this little tree-lined path is called l’allee des Cygnes (Promenade of the Swans). It was very quiet and pretty—far from the traffic—and I was rewarded with these beautiful sights. I especially loved how the walkway and park fixtures were painted this pretty shade of blue instead of the common dark green color that you normally see everywhere around Paris.
Along the way, I walked along and under the original metal Passy footbridge built in 1878 for the Universal Expo. It was eventually replaced in the early 1900s by a two-tiered bridge combining 
a railroad viaduct over the central walking path and road. Metro line 6 (Charles de Gaulle-Etoile – Nation), which I also took one day because 60% of it runs above ground, passes over this viaduct. Called Passy Viaduct until 1949, it was renamed the pont de Bir-Hakeim to commemorate General Koenig’s 1942 victory over Rommel in the Libyan desert. During this battle, the Free French resisted long enough so the Allied forces could prevent Germany from seizing Egypt. This victory provided a much-needed boost, obviously, to the Free French movement. 
I really enjoyed this walk that day and the beautiful views. 
