Paris, je t'aime. Even if it's a cliché...

Finally, Paris: the quintessential European destination.  The city of love, melt-in-your-mouth croissants and cobblestoned streets that light up at night, just waiting for couples to stroll down them, fingers intertwined. Also a city bustling with people from the four corners of the world, with any worthy destination sporting a handsome line-up (is it worth the wait?) and souvenirs dangled in your face around every romantic river bend.  The beauty of the city blinds you to its faults, as if Paris were in fact the ideal lover, its shortcomings masked by the feeling of being all-consumed by its presence.

We kick-started our European travels in a tiny apartment (space comes at a premium in this city) in the 18ième arrondissement of Paris. With a delicious boulangerie around the corner and the metro a short walk away, we were fully equipped for our Parisian “séjour”.  Post-trip, the events of our 5-day visit tend to manifest themselves into a Monet-style painting in my mind; all of our experiences blur into one, creating a magnificent light-filled tableau of the city:

Day one spent exploring the beauty of Montmartre. Our feet and knees slowly getting accustomed to the dull pain that comes with walking on stiff concrete for kilometers on end. The Cimetière de Montmartre, shafts of light streaming between silent centuries-old tombs nestled within the bustle of the city. Cemetery cats pouncing in and out of shadows, with no notion that they’re living amongst the ghosts of Parisian history. Later in the day, les Champs-Élysées.  Busier than expected, the Arc de Triomphe sitting solid at the centre of it all, holding its own against the tourists and traffic as the sun sets. 

Cimetière de Montmartre

Dégas in his final resting place

Morgan with the Arc de Triomphe

Day two waking up to the taste of fresh coffee and light, buttery croissants.  The Seine flecked with a mid-winter sun and the Eiffel Tower jetting up into the frigid air. Solid metal beneath our hands as we climb up and up, to see Paris fold out in front of us, marked by gold domes, church bell towers, and people going about their day on the streets below. Later that night, the Moulin Rouge attracts a strange kind of curiosity from the crowds, and she gives no apologies for being so bold.

Getting used to the French-style breakfast (Photo: Morgan Edwards)

La Seine (Photo: Morgan Edwards)

Climbing up the Eiffel (Photo: Morgan Edwards)

Bird's eye vies (Photo: Morgan Edwards)

Picture perfect (Photo: Morgan Edwards)

Morgan taking it all in

Eiffel Tower, lining up

A tangle of metal

Le Moulin Rouge (Photo: Morgan Edwards)

Day three following winding cobblestone streets slick with rain, slightly shiny with the moisture. The gardens of Sacré-Coeur fresh with the scent of lavender, leading the way to the imposing solidity of the church’s stone and sweeping arches.  Another all-encompassing vista of the city before narrow staircases take us back down into the shuffle. Finally, buildings re-energized and brought back to life in Bercy Village.

Montmartre cat (Photo: Morgan Edwards)

Getting lost (Photo: Morgan Edwards)

Bercy Village (Photo: Morgan Edwards)

Bercy again (Photo: Morgan Edwards)

Day four, Valentine’s Day. The perfect day for the Musée d’Orsay, waiting patiently for a sight of famous brushstrokes. Paris renewed in the eyes of the impressionists. Later that evening, acclimatizing to the expressions of a Parisian climbing gym (“allez” and “c’est chaud”) and rewarding our hard work with the best pho in town. Stepping off the metro to the sight of the Eiffel Tower dazzling the city with its dancing lights. 

Musée d'Orsay (Photo: Morgan Edwards)

Parisian Valentine's messages

Eiffel Tower (Photo: Morgan Edwards)