I really do love Paris. In a way it feels cliche to say something like that. I don't know many people that go to Paris and don't find it to be an amazing place. For me, I love walking along the seine and watching the people and gazing at the architecture. I love sitting at a cafe with an espresso watching the world go by. I could spend countless hours in the Louvre. And I love getting lost in the winding and beautiful streets.
I met Mom at the airport (our flights arrived almost at the same time, though mine took 2 hours while hers took somewhere around 14). The first day we went on a tour along the seine, which was a nice way to reaquaint myself with Paris. It was strange to be familiar with such a grandeous place as Paris.
Our first day in Paris was very exciting for me, because I go to go back to the Louvre. The Louvre may be one of my favorite places in the world. It was the first museum I visited when I went to Europe, my first introduction to art. I remember being awed on my first walk through the sculptures and art. I had never been exposed to beauty of that sort before. I do wish I had more knowledge about the history that intertwines with each of those pieces. My favorite sculpture in the Louvre is the Winged Victory. I thinks she is fabulous. She is so powerful and strong. When I see that statute it reminds me of the same strength I feel when I am running. Strength, confidence, and beauty.
Mom and I walked up Champs Elysees up to another of my favorites in Paris, the Arc de Triomph. At the end of a long street of exquisite shopping, the Arc de Triomph is so massive and beautiful.
The second day was a trip to Versailles, where I have never been. This part of the trip was then new for both Mom and I. The first day I got to relive experiences, but also to see Paris through my mom's eyes, who had never been out of the country let alone never been to Paris. In Versailles, our wonder was both new as we explored the vast richness of the palace and the expansive beauty of the gardens. Versailles is a perfect example of excess. The rooms were beautiful with expansive paintines, beautiful furniture, and gold trimmings. One room was almost entirely mirrors in a time when even one such thing was a novelty. The gardens were never ending. Mom and I weaved between shrubs, trees, and sculpture gardens. We visited a tiny little village that Marie Antoinette had built because she like to experience the "common" life. Of course, that meant that she oversaw people working in the mills and farms that she had built. No wonder she was beheaded. haha.
The next day Mom and I walked along the Seine and around St. Germain. We started off at Notre Dame, which I believe was Mom's favorite site in Paris. I have been in so many cathedrals at this point, it was nice to have Mom there to remind me to stop and take in the beauty. Her gasp of breath as we stepped inside reminded me that this was not just another cathedral. It was massive and beautiful. That's one reason it's nice to travel with someone; they often can remind you to slow down and appreciate things you might take for granted.
Mom and I went to visit the Moulin Rouge area, another place I had never been, on our last full day in Paris. We walked up to Scare Coeur for beautiful views of the city, then walked around a quaint little area where Van Gogh and Renoir had spent some time living. A highlight for me was an espresso in the cafe where many scenes from Amelie, a favority movie of mine, had been filmed.
That night, as a final farewell to Paris, I decided to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Now, I am not necessarily afraid of heights. I get nervous in places where I could potentially plummet to my death, but I am not afraid of being in tall buildings or anything of the sort. However, as that elevator started going up from the second to the third viewing level of the tower, i felt my breath get short and my fingers grasp the side of the elevator. As I stepped out and felt the cool breeze brush by my face, i felt as if I were glancing down at the terrain from an airplane. Everything was so small, and so beautiful. I spent almost an hour up there, just gazing at the parisian city lights. I knew as soon as I left, I'd have to say goodbye to Paris, as our plane was departing early the next morning.
It wasn't as hard to leave Paris for me. I know that I will be back. The more I've traveled, the more I've discovered that if you want to go somewhere you can make it happen. We make excuses for ourselves, but sometimes you just have to decide to do something. I really admire my mom for taking the risk and traveling to a new and different country. It's not easy, and I often forget how hard it was when I first traveled and had to deal with different languages, currency, and culture. She did a really great job, and I'm so glad I got to be a part of her first experience in Europe.
Okay, congratulations on having made it this far. :-) You win a cookie.
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