Relaxing Near the Eiffel Tower

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On warm summer days, people have a natural tendency to gravitate towards cool grassy areas, and the Champ de Mars park is no exception. In this photo, taken on a very warm day in May, thousands of people have decided to relax on the grass of the park and work on their tans, or read books, or whatever. The only thing unusual about all this is the huge iron tower in the background—the Eiffel Tower, which makes the picture kind of interesting.

You’re looking roughly northwest in the photo. The structure off in the distance beneath the arch of the Eiffel Tower is the Palais de Chaillot, on the other side of the Seine River; like the tower, it was also built for an international exposition, in 1938.

Photographed on May 17, 2000.