Gray skies over a half-empty Eiffel Tower.

Since last week's terrorist attacks that left 17 victims and three gunmen dead, the swarms of sightseers have thinned below Paris' most visited monument, baring the dull concrete of the giant plaza.

Just over a week after the attacks, only a handful of tourists were taking photos, and one or two having portraits sketched by resident artists. The long lines that normally snake around the Eiffel Tower's gargantuan pillars were a fraction of the length.