Timeless Paris !

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Paris is timeless ! I was visiting it after 10 years and nothing seem to have changed about the city. But I was very moved when I visited it this time and was very glad that I got a chance to visit this city again. I introspected a bit during my stay as to why I felt so.

10 years ago, I had first visited this city and instantly fell in love with it. It made feel completely at home for the 6 months that I stayed here. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t speak French. People were friendly and willing to help especially when I used a few French words to start a conversation. On most occasions it was limited to ‘Vous parle anglais ?’ ! It also helped that all the types of public transportation be it metro, RER, SNCF, trains, bus and trams are so easy to follow. With some help of the maps.

Obviously the monuments in Paris are the major attractions for any visitor. And there are tons of them all over the city. For me, Paris is synonymous with the Eiffel tower. It’s not a great sight from near but from afar, it’s spectacular. Even more so when you see if from the banks of the Seine river. Of course when it is lit during the night, it is spectacular and takes your breath away. I can for hours together sit at Trocadero and stare at it. It is also challenging for an amateur to take pictures of it during the night or by the river banks or to cover it entirely in the frame from near by.

Then there are the other must-do monuments like St Michel Notre Dame, Montmartre Sacre Caeur, Versailles chateau, Arc de Triomphe, La Defence, the boat ride and the museums, Lourve and Orsay. For the offbeat, there’s the tombs of the catacombs, Jewish quarter and Chinatown. Lots more as most travel guides provide minutest level details of them.

But more than anything else, you need to do a few more things to feel the city and it’s spirit.
 Walking aimlessly around the city is a great way to feel the city. You get the feeling of the renaissance era when you see the roadside paintings, various artists doing portraits and caricatures.
 Sitting leisurely at a road side café sipping beer or a coffee and watching the city go by is another must.
 Taking the public transport to see that style come so naturally to the world’s fashion capital. All the girls and women of all ages effortlessly make a style statement and look so interesting.

One other reason the city seems so much at home is you don’t feel different here. You just mingle with the crowd because there’s so much of diversity. You will see people of all colors, ethnic origin and nationalities - other Europeans, the American tourists, the brightly colorful Africans and the serious looking Asians. Of course the traditional French don’t consider Paris is French any longer. It is full of outsiders and of course a zillion tourists.

The French are famous for their feeling of nationalism and pride themselves on it. Having had lot of conversations with my French colleagues, though they do whine a lot complaining about the government but nevertheless very proud of their culture and their values.

How can I not write about the food and wine being a foodie myself ! The croissants, the ubiquitous baguette, the stalls selling crepes/hot dogs, different varieties of cheese, numerous middle eastern food joints and the tastefully decorated desserts. I am too speechless to write anything about the Wine !!

The city’s reputation as the most romantic city in the world also stands true when see the no. of couples so engrossed in each other. And these are not just young lovers but much married couples, who probably are on their second honeymoon !

I am sure there are few other cities in the world which have a character and spirit of their own. But in Paris you can feel the city after living here for a few days. Of course your itinerary shouldn’t be limited to just doing the touristy things but go out unplanned and explore.

I think I now know why I feel so much for Paris. I believe Paris it kind of represents values that I believe in - liberty, diversity, pride and ultimately the feeling of being young at heart !

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Photos

Eiffel at night
Is really mesmerizing !

Eiffel at dusk
10pm and still waiting for the dark night !

Eiffel at night
Finally in the dark night !

Glittering Eiffel
Not exactly my kind :-(

St Michel Notre Dame
Busloads of Japanese schoolgirls got unloaded and immediately sat together for the photo session. What discipline !